Nobody, but us!
by Hawks nest427
Summary: The Huntsman of Remnant are the elite warriors dedicated to protecting others from the creatures of Grimm. Soldiers from Earth are dedicated to keeping peace and defending others from all enemies foreign and domestic. What happens when these two defenders of man meet? Rated T for language, violence, cruel sexual humor and use of alcohol and tobacco.
1. Chapter 1

**Fair warning, these first few chapters are little rough in terms of grammar and overall written quality. At least give it a few chapters before you move on.**

 **Nobody, but us!**

Prologue

 **May 30, 2020**

 **0127 hours**

 **Somewhere near the Syria-Iraq border…**

It was supposed to be a simple mission. Drop in, do some reconnaissance, gather any intel that seems important, maybe a little collateral damage for the hell of it and bug out. Of course everyone knows that nothing ever goes as planned. Supposedly this town has seen an increase in ISIS activity, too much for a relatively isolated location. It was the last major town before you entered Iraq, so it didn't take a genius to figure something was going on there. Somebody had to check the place out and who better than four special operations soldiers. Right now, they were running through the town, trying to avoid getting shot by the insurgents.

"This is fucking bullshit!" one of the soldiers said while blind firing back at the enemy. A stray bullet managed to find its way in front of another soldier, narrowly missing his head.

"Holy shit that was close!" the lucky man said through the dust from the impact. They kept running until they turned the corner only to find a BMP and more troops waiting for them.

"Oh fuck, to the left, to the left!" the guy in front shouted back to his comrades pointing to an alleyway before a hail bullets tore them up.

"This isn't good guys, they're trying to box us in." the last one commented to the squad. It seemed the whole town was after them, but who were these guys that the whole town was trying to kill? Honestly, they couldn't tell. While the U.S. seemed like an obvious answer it was still hard to tell. The four men were dressed like your typical American or European special forces wearing gear including, but not limited to: a tactical assault vest able to withstand 7.62 rounds, elbow and knee pads for protection against rough surfaces, fingerless gloves to protect the hands from impact and abrasion while maintaining dexterity and probably the most impressive piece of gear was the tactical ballistic assault helmet they were wearing. The helmet came complete with a built in retractable visor, a mount for NVG's as well as side rails for a tac light and helmet cam. The camouflage pattern they had on was a little different, as it looked like it can be used in multiple environments besides the desert. Of course, they were well armed. Two of them were armed with assault rifles, and it looks like one of them was carrying an RPG on his back. The third was armed with a belt fed machine gun and looks like he carried an assortment of explosives in addition to an RPG. The last guy had some type of high powered rifle with him, most likely a DMR. The last distinctive feature on the men was that they all wore balaclavas so you couldn't get a good description of them. Wherever they're from, you could tell they were well armed and highly trained… even if the mission was compromised and they were hauling ass trying to not get shot.

 **In another part of the town**

"I've spotted them! They're near the market square heading towards the hospital!" an ISIS insurgent said into a radio from his elevated position on top of the police station. He had pretty good view seeing them turn down an alley way. "All units converge towards the market place. I want mortar fire on that infidel scum!"

"All forces have been mobilized and mortars are ready to fire" the radio responded

"Sir I just received word that the advance forces are five minutes out." Another voice said.

"Perfect timing. Have them surround the town and push towards the center. There'll be no escape for our unwelcome guests!"

 **Back with the soldiers**

"I'm telling you, we passed that house already!" The machine gunner said to the group. The RPG soldier quickly looked back at him.

"To be fair, all these fucking houses look alike." He said while chuckling

"Both of you shut up or I swear ill…" the squad leaders shouting was interrupted by a familiar high pitch whistling heading towards them.

"Incoming!" BOOM! The mortar shell impacted a good 60 meters in front of them leaving a decent sized crater in front of them. Light fragmentation hit the soldiers but luckily they were far enough away and their armor protected them. A rapid succession of follow up shots were be heard before a barrage of shells impacted around them.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" The RPG soldier shouted while having his arms in a "seriously dude" pose.

"We got to get out of the kill zone, down that alley way move!" The squad leader took point while the rest followed close behind. The last soldier armed with the DMR ran a little faster to catch up to the leader.

"Alex, you know this leads straight to the center of town where they will most likely be waiting for us right? I think they're trying to draw us towards it." The squad leader identified as Alex looked back at the marksman while they kept running.

"I know Greg, but seeing as how we got cut off between the mortars and the foot mobiles behind us, we weren't left with much of a choice."

"Well I hope you have a plan, I can't get anyone on the radio to send backup or an evac." Greg responded. To be honest, Alex did not have a plan. Normally he's pretty good at thinking on his feet and making quick decisions but being trapped in a town surrounded by dozens of hostiles with no way to call for help left him stumped. Hopefully he could think of something soon, it would be a major buzz kill if he and his squad got killed. They stopped when they reached the end of the alley way that led to the center of town. It was a large square with lots of open space. Random food stands and cars were spread throughout the area. The most notable feature of the square was the hospital that towered above every building in the town located in the center. However, their attention was more focused on the sudden arrival of more enemy reinforcements. There were at least 20 trucks spread out carrying roughly 30 men per truck who were quickly sweeping the area looking for Alex's squad. Armed with assault rifles and frag grenades the insurgents spread throughout the square setting up defensive positions and choke points. Some of them went down the other streets and alley ways to meet up with the local forces. Either way the whole area was a damn hornets nest. It was a miracle they didn't find the soldiers yet.

"Damn, you think they got enough guys?" The RPG soldier sarcastically asked. His question was answered by the loud rumbling of treads making their way to the town square. The squad watched as a dozen enemy tanks rolled up to surround the square. T-72's by the look of them. All of them carrying more troops and waving the black ISIS flag high and proud.

"Well does that answer your question Nick?" the machine gunner asked the RPG soldier. You couldn't tell but under Nicks balaclava he had a light smirk.

"It actually does Ivan, thanks big guy!" Ivan sighed while rolling his eyes at the fool. Nick was his friend, but man he can get on your nerves. Ivan looked over at Alex and already knew his squad leader was coming up with a plan.

"Alright guys here's the plan." Alex said with authority.

" _Did I call it or what?"_ Ivan thought to himself. Alex furrowed his brow took a quick look at the situation at hand. It was obvious that they couldn't shoot their way out. They couldn't stay in this alley forever and had to move. The hospital was right in front of them about 400 meters away. The extra reinforcements must have been the advance force the intel they stole talked about.

" _At least command has what they needed. That intel we sent them had all sorts maps and troop movement plans. And this is defiantly that advance force heading towards Mosul. I just hope we make it out alive._ Alex shouldn't think like that even if it did linger in the back of his head, but he had to remain calm and collected. He couldn't show uncertainty to his squad mates. They may have been running for their lives but at least the mission was successful...sort of. He continued his train of thought observing that there was no sign of activity in the hospital. The tanks were mostly to the left side of the hospital, while the foot mobiles were concentrated on the right side.

"Greg, any luck with the radio?" Alex asked.

"Yeah they said they're working on it but didn't give me an ETA."

"That doesn't sound very encouraging." Ivan commented.

"Well we're going to have to hold out until then and the only decent place to hold out is the hospital. We're going to haul ass over there and make our way to the top where the helicopter can reach us easier." Alex already knew the plan had a few flaws. First off there was no cover between them and the hospital so they'll be immediately spotted. Next was the fact that they were completely out-manned, outgunned and outmaneuvered by the enemy. Finally, the one flaw that made Alex afraid was that he didn't know if command was going to pull through and get them out. The radio transmissions were vague and unconvincing but he couldn't show his fear. The squad depended on him and he was going to get them home. He just had to cling on to hope that they were going to make it out alive and return to Russia.

That's right these men were Russians. They were part of the 45th Spetsnaz brigade, a special forces unit within the VDV or the Russian airborne troopers. It seems that the United States, NATO and the Russian Federation all agreed on something for once. I know, right? Well with terror attacks occurring more frequently and on such large scales, the solution was obvious: ISIS had to go. All countries would contribute to the operation weather its air support, ground forces, intel gathering or even logistic support. And this is where our Russians friends come into play, obviously on an intel gathering operation.

"Ok guys got it?" Alex asked his squad. He did a quick look-over at his squad mates to make sure they knew the plan. It was simple, they were going to throw smoke grenades and suppress fire on the enemy while they made a B-line to the hospital. Defiantly not the best plan, but it's the best with what he could work with.

"Alex, I know you're the squad leader and I respect your position and decision-making skills but this seems risky and pretty half-assed." Ivan said. Normally Ivan was aggregable and didn't talk back much but even he had to voice his criticism of the plan.

"That stung Ivan, I hope you know that." Alex responded in a mock sadden tone while clutching his heart.

"I have to agree with Ivan. I mean even if we do get inside, what's going to stop them from just blowing up the hospital with those tanks?" It was Greg's turn to respond.

"Give him a break, it's the best he could come up with. Besides I don't hear any good ideas coming from you two." Nick may be a joker but he knows when it's time for work and he always has your back. Alex was about to thank Nick when he heard a familiar whistling sound coming towards them. All four soldiers looked up and saw 60mm of instant death bearing down on them.

"Oh, fuck m…BOOM! Alex and his squad were no more. All that remained was a crater where they were. Who would've guess that the enemy would use mortars that close to their forces. Then again if they were killed, everything else was just collateral damage. So instead of going out in a heroic, badass way in the hospital fighting off waves of enemies, they get disposed of quickly by a mortar strike. How anti-climactic. You would think they would've remembered the mortars but I guess not. But in the back of all their minds, they had a feeling they weren't going to make it. At least the Russian government has new intel that can be used to outmaneuver ISIS. And it's all thanks to Sgt. Alexander Volkov, Cpl. Nicholas Steppanov, Cpl. Ivan Sokolov and Sgt. Gregory Fedorov. Hopefully their souls can find peace in the next life.

*Scoff* yeah right.

 **Authors notes:**

 **RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

 **This was just something that popped in my head one night. Yeah I could've done U.S. troops but I wanted to be different and go with Russians. Plus I didn't want people thinking I ripped off "Displaced" by CaptainPrice, which I recommend reading. Besides if you've ever hung out with anyone in the military, you'll find they all act the same to an extent. All of them have a dark sense of humor, they develop an addiction to caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, they constantly shit talk each other and the ones that are great at their jobs are usually labeled as turds by their superiors. And its no different when it comes to another country's military.**

 **You may notice that there's some elements of Call of Duty, Battlefield, Counter Strike and Rainbow Six in the story. They also belong to their respective companies.**

 **Constructive criticism and reviews are greatly appreciated. Don't worry I have tough skin, you can be dick to me if you want.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: This afterlife blows

 **Just a quick character overview and the equipment they have. I'll elaborate more at the end of the chapter**

 **Sgt. Alexander Volkov, Squad leader**

 **Age: 23 H/W: 5'10'' 168 lbs.**

 **Weapons:**

 **-AK-12 assault rifle w/ under barrel GP-34 grenade launcher**

 **-MP-443 pistol and combat knife**

 **-x3 Frag grenades**

 **-x2 Flashbangs**

 **-x8 40mm grenades**

 **-x1 Smoke grenade**

 **Other equipment:**

 **-short range radio**

 **-First-aid kit**

 **-compass**

 **Sgt. Gregory Fedorov, Designated marksman**

 **Age: 21 H/W: 6'1'' 175 lbs.**

 **Weapons:**

 **-Dragunov SVDM sniper rifle w/ hybrid scope**

 **-MP 443 pistol and combat knife**

 **-x2 smoke grenades**

 **-x1 smoke signal grenade**

 **-x2 flashbangs**

 **-x1 RPG 27 disposable launcher**

 **Other equipment:**

 **-short range radio**

 **-long range radio**

 **-binoculars**

 **Cpl. (Junior Sgt.) Nicholas Stepanov, Anti-armor/ assault man**

 **Age: 22 H/W: 6'0'' 180 lbs.**

 **Weapons:**

 **-AK-12 assault rifle**

 **-x2 RPG 26**

 **-MP 443 pistol and combat knife**

 **-x2 Frag grenades**

 **-x3 incendiary grenades**

 **Other equipment:**

 **-Short range radio**

 **-Extra medical supplies**

 **Cpl. (Junior Sgt.) Ivan Sokolov, Machine gunner/ explosives**

 **Age: 22 H/W 6'6'' 250 lbs.**

 **Weapons:**

 **-PKP Pecheneg SP general purpose machine gun w/ SCORPION system  
(basically a backpack ammunition belt storage/ feeding system)**

 **-MP 443 pistol and combat knife**

 **-x2 Frag grenades**

 **-x2 incendiary grenades**

 **-x4 blocks of plastic explosives**

 **-x2 RPG 26**

 **Other equipment:**

 **-short range radio**

 **-extra ammo for rest of squad**

 **Again, this was just a quick overview and I'll go into detail later.**

"Ughh." was all Alex could say. It felt like he took a crowbar to the head. His arms and legs felt like jelly and his back was killing him. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn he was laying on a rock. He lifted his visor up and wiped his eyes, trying to get them into focus. When he came to, the first thing he noticed was the blue sky above him. _"I thought it was nighttime."_ Alex thought not even realizing his situation. It took about another 30 seconds of laying down before he shot up off the ground. _"WHAT THE? HOW THE? WHERE?"_ Alex couldn't even form a complete thought. Well, how could he? He and his squad died! That mortar shell came down right on top of them. He failed as a squad leader and got everyone killed! His thoughts were interrupted by a groaning pile of leaves next to him.

"Augh, I'm 21 years old and yet I feel 40." Greg grumbled while brushing leaves off himself. _"Why was I passed out in a pile of leaves?"_ He thought to himself when suddenly he found himself in a bear hug from Alex.

"Greg, You're alive!"

"Yes? Why wouldn't I… be…alive?" It suddenly dawned on him. They died! They should be dead! He looked back at Alex and got a nod back as if he knew what Greg was thinking.

"Greg stay with me; do you know where Nick and Ivan are?" Alex, regaining his composure calmly asked. Greg was about to shake his head until he heard a rustle in the bushes near them. Both brought up their weapons up just in case. Alex slowly approached the bushes with Greg following up closely behind. Using his free hand, he reached forward and pulled the bushes aside…and started laughing?

"Oh man you have to see this!" Curious, Greg looked over Alex's shoulder and started laughing at the sight before him. Nick and Ivan were laying on the ground in a rather intimate and comforting embrace. Spooning to be exact. Greg knew Alex would never let them live this down. "hahaha, look Ivan's the little spoon too!" Alex was hunched over laughing while trying to catch his breath. Looks like his laughter was waking up Nick.

"Hey what are you laughing at…AHH get off me Ivan!" Nick shouted and immediately jumped to his feet. Ivan meanwhile got up and started brushing himself off while Alex and Greg were still laughing.

"Relax Nick. What happens in the field, stays in the field. Besides you came on to me." Ivan joked back. Nick was about to say something but stopped when he noticed his surroundings.

"Uhh Alex, where are we?" He looked back to his squad leader hoping for answers but only got a confused look back.

"Well I'm trying to figure that out, but what's the last thing you guys remember?" Alex questioned his squad. The three men looked back and forth at each other until Ivan broke the awkward silence.

"We were in Syria about to storm a hospital until…" Ivan froze mid-sentence. Nick continued his thought

"Until a mortar shell came down on us and then…" Nick tried to continue but he couldn't believe it. Greg finished off with the hard truth.

"We were killed." He stated flatly. A long awkward silence followed Greg's statement. It was about 10 minutes before Nick broke the new silence.

"Killed by a mortar shell, what a stupid way to die!" Alex couldn't help smiling at Nick's remark. Even after realizing that they literally died and shouldn't be alive, he still finds the humor in any situation.

"So, are we in heaven or maybe an afterlife?" It was Ivan's turn to speak. Nobody, including himself were religious but this seemed so surreal.

"We party and get hammered every Saturday night, then wake up hungover on Sunday. I promise you we're not in heaven. Besides, I thought heaven was supposed to up in the sky with puffy clouds and golden gates. Nick responded.

"Well it's obvious we're not in Syria, or the middle east." Greg said trying to redirect the conversation. The first thing the soldiers noticed was that they were in a large clearing at the edge of a forest. Said forest was green. Very green. It almost looked like someone used green paint on the grass and leaves. Looking through the tree line, you can see a dirt road next to a wooden farm fence. Beyond that was more grasslands, trees and large mountains in the distance.

"Well I know we're not in Russia because well, we're dead and I doubt our bodies would just be tossed on the side of the road. Besides something feels…weird about this place. Like there's something in the air or something." Alex said.

"What, like smog?" Nick asked

"No you dumbass, it feels like…ah never mind."

"What I'm wondering is why are we still in combat gear?" Ivan asked

"Did you guys notice that our gear looks brand new? Our weapons look like they came straight out of the factory and our clothes aren't dirty or have any wear and tear." Greg said while looking over himself.

"Alright this is getting weird. All my ammo and grenades have been replenished." Nick noted when he looked himself over. Sure enough, everybody's gear was in perfect condition and were well stocked with ammo. At least they'll be ready for anything this afterlife throws at them. Even though the afterlife was supposed to be peaceful.

"Ok, even though we're all still trying to wrap our heads around this whole dying and ending up in purgatory or whatever this place is, I think we can all agree that we need to find a place to crash because there is no way in Hell I'm spending purgatory sleeping outside! Come on let's see if we can find a hotel or something." Alex addressed to his squad mates. They all nodded their heads in agreement until Greg spoke up.

"What makes you think there's a hotel out there? Or people or even civilization?" A fair question.

"Well if you look to your right, you'll notice a road. Roads don't just randomly appear. People use roads, ergo we follow this road and see where it takes us. Preferably somewhere that has a nice bed. And I don't know about you guys, but I am fucking starving." Again, there were more nods of agreement. The last time anyone ate was before their last mission and all they had on them was a canteen full of water, so what Alex was proposing made sense. This time Nick spoke up.

"So, do you think purgatory accepts Rubles? Or Euros? Also, I need someone to spot me. I had to pay my phone bill before we left, 5G LTE is expensive."

"How do you never have money?" Ivan asked Nick.

"I have hobbies."

"Get less expensive hobbies then."

"If you two are done, can we get moving now? I want to find a place to rest before night." Alex asked in an annoyed tone. The two didn't say anything as the squad started moving towards the road.

 **30 minutes later**

The walk so far has been quiet, uneventful and downright boring. Nothing to look at but grass, trees, sky and the mountains in the background. Even if everything seemed peaceful, it never hurts to prepare for the worst. The Russians kept some military discipline while they made their way to a town. They maintained a tactical column at a relaxed pace. Alex took the lead on the left side of the road while Greg was five meters behind him on the opposite side of the road. Ivan was on the same side as Alex 10 meters behind him and finally Nick brought up the rear following 10 meters behind Greg. They kept their weapons in front of them in a tactical carry just in case. It's always better to have quick access to your weapon rather than carry it strong side sling arms, especially in unknown territory. It was another 10 minutes of walking when they came across a fork in the road. The good thing about it was that there were signs pointing in different directions at the fork. A good indicator of civilization. Alex decided now would be a good time rest and a chance to get his bearings.

"Well at least we know there's people here. So, which way we're going?" Ivan asked. Alex read the signs taking note of the name of the location, direction and distance. The one on top, according to his compass was pointing Northwest and read in big bold letters: _VALE-30 MILES._

"Miles? Goddammit, got to use the American units of measurement! I hope you guys remember how to convert metric to the American system."

"We're in an American purgatory? Well that's wonderful." Greg said unenthusiastically. Alex continued reading the signs, noticing most of the places are far as fuck. He did also notice some of the signs had a large slash across their names.

" _Perhaps those locations are no longer there? Well I guess Mt. Glenn is off the table which sucks because 9 miles didn't seem that bad."_ Alex thought to himself. A sign pointing East managed to get his attention. _OXFORD- 4 MILES._ " _Only four miles? I'll take it."_ He looked up towards the sun and noticed it was directly above them. Since his watch is still set for Syrian time, he had to guess the time of day by the sun. Based on its location it was about noon. At their current pace, they should reach Oxford within an hour. 45 minutes if they pick up the pace. Looking towards the east, he noticed that the road drops down into a valley. At least it'll be downhill from here.

"Alright guys there's a place called Oxford four miles east of here. Take another five minutes then we're stepping off and hopefully we'll be there within an hour."

"Isn't that a city in England?" Ivan asked

"Small world after all. Or should I say afterlife." Greg responded. Nick just finished taking a large swig of water before looking back at the guys.

"Thank God! I'm so sick of hiking. You know when I died, I thought I wouldn't have to hike anymore but I guess not. This afterlife blows. And another thing..." Nick continued bitching but everyone else stopped paying attention to him and thought about the hot meals and warm beds that were only four miles away.

 **45 minutes later**

 **Approximately 1/2 mile from Oxford**

"So what's our story guys? I'm just asking because who knows how the locals are going to react to four heavily armed Russian soldiers strolling through their town? Also I'm pretty confident they won't accept Rubles or Euros." Nick actually brought up good point. He has his moments from time to time. What were they going to say?

"Not sure, I was just going to wing it when we got there. Of course, we don't need to mention that part where we died." Alex responded. The walk through the valley that led to Oxford was just as quiet and boring as the road from earlier. But at least on the road you heard the random bird chirp or you'll see a rabbit run by. But the closer they got to Oxford the quieter it seemed to get. It was too quiet for Alex's liking. The whole trip down the valley he didn't hear a single bird chirp or any sound you'd hear in nature.

"Is that smoke up ahead?" Ivan pointed towards the horizon. Everyone looked up and sure enough there were thick black trails of smoke rising from the ground up ahead.

"That can't be good." Greg remarked.

"Let's pick up the pace." The quickly transitioned from a casual walk to a light jog heading towards the smoke. Everyone had a bad feeling brewing inside. Black smoke usually meant fire and it didn't feel like a dry season so that can only mean it's coming from Oxford. Their fear was confirmed when they turned the corner and were looking down at a sizable town surrounded by a 20ft brick wall. They could see that several houses and buildings were severely damaged. Fires were spread throughout the town setting anything in its path ablaze. Needless to say, it was mess down there. When the Russians finally reached the town, the first thing they saw was the large metal two door gate at the entrance destroyed. But the odd thing was, it looks like something forced its way in. One of the doors was covered in large scratch marks and ripped off its hinges. The other door was ripped in half, like a piece of paper.

"What the fuck? No way bombs or rockets can do this." Nick said. Alex was about to say something when they heard screaming coming from inside the town. This was not a scream reacting to the fire. It sounded more fearful and panicked like someone is about to be brutally murdered. Alex had a new look in his eye. One filled with determination and courage. People were about to be killed and he refused to stand by and let it happen. He took a quick glance at Greg, Nick and Ivan. All of them had the same look in their eyes. Without saying anything he readied his weapon, pulling the charging handle back and loading a round in the chamber. He looked back and saw they all readied their weapons. They each gave a single nod indicating they were ready.

"Right, let's go!"

 **A/N: Alright before I continue, it's probably a good idea to elaborate on certain elements of the story**

 **\- The unit these guys are in, the VDV, are not active in Syria. However the story takes place in 2020 so who knows what'll happen by then. Besides it's a fictional story so relax.**

 **-I'm taking the lazy route and not going to add a language barrier. Think of it like movies or video games where Russians speak perfect English with an accent.**

 **-They're going to be using the imperial system units of measurement (feet, miles, Fahrenheit etc.). It makes things easier on myself and the readers. Again lazy route.**

 **-With that being said a lot of military terms and equipment made be referred to by "western" names or just by common names. Example: the nomenclature for Russian frag grenades is "RGN". But I'm just going to call it a frag grenade. Or a PSO 4x optic? It's a Russian equivalent to the ACOG, so I'm just going to call it an ACOG. Keeping it simple guys. Also there is no Corporal rank in the Russian military. The equivalent is Junior** **Sergeant but to make it easier, they're Corporals.**

 **-I'm going to do my best to keep things fairly realistic in terms of military logic. However some stuff might be exaggerated or make no sense at all. Like a sniper who also has a shotgun? that's dumb. But would you play Battlefield or Call of Duty if it was 100% realistic? thought so. For the purpose of entertainment, not everything will be realistic.**

 **-Now if I say something that is false, inaccurate or outdated in terms of the Russian military, don't be afraid to correct me. I'll do what I can to correct the issue. Besides I like learning new things.**

 **Alright with that stuff out of the way lets have a little chat shall we?**

 **You may have noticed that they didn't start off in the Emerald forest and stumbled upon the initiation or just wandered aimlessly until RWBY or JNPR comes to their rescue like most fics. I decided to take a different approach. Now it was kind of hard to find a decent map of the Kingdom of Vale where I can place the random town of Oxford. It's more inland, almost towards the mountain range, while the city of Vale looks like it's literally on the coast. Yeah, yeah world of Remnant said they only have coastal towns and blah. Well it also makes it look like Vale is deeper inland than along the coast. So I'm going with this. And once again, dude it's fiction. chill bro.**

 **Oh and before you ask, no they won't become a team at Beacon. Hello they're young adults in their 20's. Don't worry I have plan.**

 **As always reviews, criticism, suggestions, bitches, moans and complaints are always appreciated.**

 **Next update we'll see some action.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: First contact

 **Hi there. If you haven't noticed, I updated the squads weapons to more modern ones. I was kindly informed that the one's originally listed were totally outdated. With that being said, here's chapter 3.**

To say Oxford was a mess, would be the understatement of the year. What was once a prosperous town, has become a living hell. Now Alex and his squad have seen some fucked up shit during their military careers. Their time spent in Syria fighting ISIS and peacekeeping during the Ukrainian civil war a year prior made them no strangers to killing, death, collateral damage and the unpleasant realities of war but this was something else.

"Holy shit, it's like something… ripped her in half." Greg managed to speak up while keeping down his nonexistent lunch. The squad was looking down at the corpse of young woman no older than 20. Well, half of her at least. She had fair skin and medium length red hair with a small yellow flower tucked into the left side of her hair. She was wearing a blue and white flannel pattern shirt over a plain white T-shirt that was now stained with her blood. It was hard not to notice down by her waist the large pool of blood and her internal organs on the pavement. They took a quick glance around the area and noticed her lower half was nowhere to be found. But perhaps the most unsettling sight was her face. Those blue eyes once full of life, now just stared blankly back at you still wide open with fear. Her mouth was slightly open, as if she was about to scream but never got the chance. Everyone looked back up at each other not saying a word.

"Come on, there's nothing we can do for her." Alex said in a stern tone. No one said anything as one by one they started moving down the main road. Alex took one last look at the woman on the ground, still in shock that a young life was so…savagely ended. He took a knee next to her and reached out to close her eyes. It was the least he could do. But when he did that, he noticed something odd about her slightly open mouth, particularly her teeth. A couple of her teeth were longer and sharper than the rest, almost like fangs on an animal. He decided not to think about it and to catch up with his squad.

The town of Oxford is pretty easy to navigate. It was divided into four squared sections with the two main roads cutting through the center. Smaller roads ran in-between the buildings to get to other parts of town. The west side of town was the residential district where most of the housing lies. The center where the main roads form an intersection is the market district. There you'll find several stores as well as community services like the clinic, and of course the local tavern, all encircling the town hall building standing high and mighty over-looking Oxford. Next to the town hall was a CCT antenna relay substation that allowed them to maintain contact with Vale. The east side of town is home to the industrial district that helps supports the town's main source of economic income: Dust. Right outside the eastern part of town was a large Dust mine that the people of Oxford quickly took advantage of. They would mine the raw dust crystals, then bring it in to have it purified and refined before they ship it out to Vale and outlying settlements. It wasn't long until they drew the attention of the Schnee Dust Company. The mayor of Oxford was "persuaded" to hand over the mines to the SDC in order to maintain their Dust monopoly. Now the mayor was nothing more than a figure head who answered to the SDC site director. The people still had their jobs in the mines, but were now under the constant watch of SDC troopers, a privately-owned army that answered only to the SDC without interference from the Atlas council or military. Weapons still at the ready, the Russians were moving through Oxford trying to find out what the hell is going on. They took notice of the conditions the buildings were in. No bullet holes or signs of a fire fight, but lots of claw marks and broken doors. However, upon entering the market district near the clinic, they were met with a horrible sight.

"My God!" Ivan exclaimed. Bodies. Bodies everywhere. Dozens of men, women and children. The pavement was painted in blood and littered with severed and mutilated parts. Looking around you can see swords, axes and weird looking guns near some of the bodies, at least they tried to fight back…whatever did this. There were also a few bodies that were wearing some kind of high tech, white metal armor with a snowflake emblem on the front wielding a military grade looking rifle. Most likely a soldier or town guard. Despite the gruesome scene in front of them, they couldn't help but noticed that the civilians all had some sort of animal feature. Some had ears resembling rabbits, wolves or cats, some had long tails like foxes or tigers, a few had deer antlers and goat horns, while others had claws or fangs protruding outside their mouths.

"Animal people? That's different." Nick commented. Alex thought back to the girl from earlier and remembered she had fangs like some of these people. More questions that he'll deal with later.

"Who could've done this?" Greg asked. His question was answered by a loud, primal growl behind them. The squad froze in place, not wanting to turn around to face…whatever made that noise. Alex however was the first to react. He set his rifle to burst fire, took a step forward with his left foot and in a quick, fluid motion he brought his weapon up while pivoting a full 180 degrees to face the threat. In a split second his target was in his sights and he quickly pulled the trigger twice, sending four rounds into the head of…what the hell was that thing? It looked like a black furred werewolf with bones protruding from its body and it had on mask with red markings that also appeared to be made of bone. The creature slumped down to the ground, it's piercing red eyes going dim as black blood oozed out of the entry wounds caused by Alex. Needless to say, everyone was speechless.

"You got to be fucking kidding me, now there's werewolves?!" Nick shouted

"OK I agree with Nick; this afterlife blows." Ivan commented. Their attention was drawn back to the dead beowolf, whose corpse was starting to disintegrate.

"At least I can put killed a werewolf on my resume." Alex joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey! Bad jokes are MY thing, get your own thing!" Nick snapped at Alex.

"Whatever you say." The moment however was broken when a loud wolf howl echoed through the town. It was followed up by more howls coming from multiple directions.

"Guess it's not alone. We should be probably leave before more show up." Greg reasoned with the squad.

"Where are we going to go?" Ivan asked. It didn't take Alex long to think of plan. Oxford has fallen, so now their only goal is to survive.

"There has to be a car we can jack and use to get the hell out of here." Alex responded to Ivan.

"Well it's not like anyone's going to miss it." Nick remarked.

"Fuck it, let's check by those factory-looking buildings." Greg said deciding to just go with it.

"So we're trying to escape a town full of hostiles trying to kill us? Why does that seem so familiar?" Nick deadpanned. They kept a steady pace trying to ignore the dead Faunus around them. It wasn't long until the came across the local tavern where Nick got everyone's attention.

"Holy shit! Half price drinks and two for one sandwiches? God damn that's a good deal!" Alex rolled his eyes and was about to yell at Nick until a scream got their attention. It sounded like a little girl.

"Please someone help me!" The girl cried out from behind the tavern. Alex and Greg were already running to reach the back of the building with Nick and Ivan close behind. Weapons up at the ready, they stacked up along the wall getting ready for what was around the corner. Alex looked over his shoulder to Greg and held up three fingers. Two. One. And in a quick movement Alex turned the corner and took a kneeling position while Greg was right behind him standing, both weapons aimed at their target; a bear looking creature this time. It had the same black fur, bone armor and red eyes as the werewolf creature. The ursa never knew what hit it. Two shots from both Alex and Greg made sure that bitch stayed down. It fell to the ground with a satisfying *thud* as it bled from the bullet wounds, then shortly began to disappear. The girl didn't know what just happened. One second she was on the ground about to be killed by an ursa, then the next second gunshots were heard and the ursa is dead on the ground before her. She looked up and saw her saviors. In front of her were four men dressed in camouflage, wearing vests with lots of pouches and sturdy looking helmets. They were all heavily armed wielding a variety of weapons that she didn't recognize. She guessed that they might have been soldiers but from where? They don't look like Atlas soldiers or even SDC troopers. She tried to look at their faces but they all were wearing a mask that concealed the lower half of their face. It made her feel a little uneasy not being able to see the whole face of heavily armed men, but they saved her so she'll get over it. One of them was approaching her with his rifle lowered while the other three stayed back with their weapons up scanning the area for more Grimm.

"Hey are you alright?" Alex took a knee next to her to make her feel more comfortable. She looked no older 10 years old with lightly tanned skin, long brown hair than was kept in a ponytail and bright…orange eyes? She was wearing a simple long sleeve shirt that matched her eye color with denim jeans and running shoes. Besides her eyes, the most distinct feature were the fox ears on top of her head. She nodded weakly at Alex's question. "My name is Alex." He calmly stated trying to get her to speak.

"M-Marigold". She nervously replied. When Alex spoke, she noticed he sounded younger than she thought he was. And his tone was warm and full of concern despite his intimidating appearance.

"Where are your parents?" He had to ask even if he had a bad feeling about the answer.

"I-I don't know. They were at work when the Grimm showed up." She weakly replied. Alex needed more information and this child was his only source.

"Marigold, can you tell me what happened?" Alex asked her in a comforting tone. She looked the Russian in the eye and nodded.

"I-I was outside p-playing, then suddenly p-people were running and screaming about Grimm in the town. It all happened so fast, the Grimm were everywhere destroying everything and k-killing e-everyone." She was breathing heavily, trying to hold back tears threatening to escape. Before she broke down however, Alex gently placed a hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down.

"Shh, it's alright." He knew she was terrified so he was doing his best to keep her calm and not have a panic attack. Alex took note of the way she used the word Grimm. He figured those black creatures must have been what she was referring to. Everyone else was listening to Alex trying to calm the kid down and also took note of her mentioning the Grimm. "Hey Marigold, can you walk? Are you hurt?" Alex was asking with genuine concern. She shook her head no and pointed to her left ankle.

"M-my ankle hurts." She reached down to roll her pant leg up and removed her shoe so Alex can look at it. While everyone in the squad had basic first aid training, Alex took an advance course to improve and refine his training. Or at least that's what he tells everyone. He only volunteered so he could get out of standing in formation for a change of command ceremony. Everyone else had to spend hours outside marching and standing, while he was in an air-conditioned room sitting down and enjoying life. While he only took the course to avoid doing stupid shit, it was interactive and had lots of useful information. He learned new skills and avoided standing in a formation for three hours; a win-win scenario. Looking at Marigolds ankle, he noticed the swelling, discoloration and the way she was bending her ankle to support it. In no way, shape or form was he a qualified doctor or field medic, but he had enough common sense to know what a broken ankle was.

"Oh yeah that's broken, no way you can walk on that." He joked lightheartedly towards her and she gave a half smile back. _"She'll be okay, all she needs to do is keep her ankle in a splint and stay off it. The real question is what are we going to do with her? We can't just leave her behind. She'll probably have to be carried out of here."_ An ear-piercing howl interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh fuck, contact!" Nick shouted will firing at three beowolfs heading towards them. Alex looked toward Marigold who was trying to protect her ears from their loud weapons. All four of her ears to be exact. Nick and Greg were firing controlled pairs at the charging Grimm while Ivan fired short bursts from his machine gun, cutting through them like jelly. The Grimm pressed on with their attack, but were unable to get close enough to strike the Russians. A dozen beouwolfs and four ursai fell to the hail of gunfire before falling back. While it's common knowledge that Grimm are mindless beasts driven mostly by their instincts, the older more experienced ones learned and observed by watching their enemies. Their experience fighting against man made them highly intelligent and formidable foes to even the most seasoned huntsman. An alpha beowolf was holding back in a hidden position, watching his brethren get cut down by these newcomers. These humans fought differently than the others it's encountered. They were holding their ground, using ruble and destroyed buildings for cover and using only firearms to attack from a distance. Every shot made, was focused, accurate and always found its mark. And the damage it did to its brethren was impressive. They cut through the hides like nothing, even shattering the bone masks and the impacting force stopped them in their tracks. The alpha knew it needed a new strategy to best them. He howled into the air, signaling his brethren to fall back and regroup. These new humans were going to be a challenge, but they will die like the rest. And if you were looking closely, it almost seemed like the alpha had a small grin forming.

"Hold your fire, it looks like they're retreating." Alex said while keeping his rifle up. The four men kept their weapons up and scanned the area for another minute before lowering them and relaxing for a moment watching the Grimm carcasses disappearing.

"We can't stay here, t-they'll be back!" Marigold told the squad. All of them nodded in agreement.

"Marigold, is there another way out of town, or a safe place to hide out in?" Greg asked her in hopes that she may know something.

"My mom told me to run to the town hall if there's ever trouble." She replied. Alex pondered the thought of heading to the town hall. He remembered passing it earlier so it wasn't that far away. She mentioned that her mother told her to go there if there's trouble so it's possible there were others that survived. Besides, the plan to "tactically acquire" a vehicle is not looking good. They haven't seen a single car or truck since they entered Oxford.

"So what do you guys think? Should we head to town hall?"

"What happen to finding a car?" Ivan questioned.

"I haven't seen one since we got here. And I don't feel like running around the whole town trying to find one."

"Alright let's get going, it's only a block that way and my feet are killing me." Nick commented.

"Who's going to carry her?" Greg asked referring to Marigold.

"I'll do it." Ivan said stepping forward. In Marigold's eyes, Ivan was a literal giant compared to her, but inside she knew she'd be safe with the big man. Letting his machine gun hang on its sling, Ivan knelt down to pick her up and placed her in a cradle carry.

They managed to reach the town hall building without encountering Grimm which was both a good and bad thing. It was eerily quiet, like something was watching them. Alex didn't like it. In front of him was a large two storied brick building with windows surrounding it and large double doors, marking it as the entrance. Greg reached to try and open the doors but they wouldn't budge.

"I think the door is barred. Should I try knocking?" Before anyone could respond, a window on the second floor opened and a man with deer antlers poked his head out.

"Hang on, we'll open the door!" The sound of door barricades being removed could be heard before the door opened for the group where a man with dog ears waved them inside. They quickly made their way inside as the door shut behind them. The Russians looked around the building seeing several people crowded together in the central atrium. A mix of men, women and children, all of them bearing animal features were looking back at the strangely-dressed, heavily armed men with curious glances.

"Marigold!?" A middle-aged woman said while making her way through the crowd. Alex noticed she bore a striking resemblance to Marigold, right down to the orange eyes and fox ears.

"Mommy!" She gleefully exclaimed. Ivan approached Marigolds mother and gently placed her daughter in her hands.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" Marigolds mother brought her daughter into loving embrace, crying tears of joy that at least her daughter was safe. She looked down towards her ankle and took notice of the swelling. "Sweetie, what happened to your ankle?" Alex stepped forward to answer her.

"Just a broken ankle ma'am. She's going to need a splint to straighten it out. Other than that, just stay off it while applying ice and keeping it elevated." Marigold's mother looked towards the strange armed, mask man with a slight worry.

"I'm sorry but who are you?" It was Marigold who answered her mother.

"That's Alex, he and his friends saved me from the grim!" Her mother relaxed then turned towards the whole squad.

"Thank you so much for saving my daughter!" Her tone was genuine and full of gratitude.

"It was no trouble ma'am" Nick replied to woman.

"Excuse me, but I would like a moment with these men if you don't mind." The man with the deer antlers who let them in said while he approached the group. Marigold's mother, still carrying her daughter gave one last thanks to the Russians then turned to leave the room.

"Bye Alex! Bye Alex's friends!" Marigold called out while waving to them. The squad lightly smiled and awkwardly waved back to her before turning attention to the man. He was a tall middle-aged man wearing workman overalls with a light complexion and 5 o'clock shadow. Despite being an older gentleman, he was fit and in great shape indicating a life of manual labor. His dark brown hair was combed to the side and starting to grey. Deep green eyes were looking the Russians up and down trying to get a read on them.

"Carmen was worried sick about her daughter after learning of her husband's fate. By rescuing little Marigold from the Grimm, you and your friends have my thanks."

"You're welcome, Mr.…?"

"Greenwood. John Greenwood. Now Alex, do you mind introducing your friends."

"That's Greg, Nick and Ivan." He told John while pointing to each member who gave a curt nod. John took notice of their strange attire, weapons and the masks concealing their faces. They looked like soldiers, but the only ones he knew of were Atlas soldiers and they didn't dress anything like them. He also noticed that while Alex sounded young, he spoke like a true professional.

"Are you boys Huntsman?"

"Uhh no, we're just travelers." Alex replied thinking quickly about a cover story.

"Packing a lot of heat for travelers." John commented

"Well, you can't be too careful when it comes to the Grimm right?" Alex casually responded.

"Can't disagree with that answer. So, what brings…"

"Greenwood! Who told you to open the door?! And who are these people?" The conversation was interrupted by a very haughty and arrogant voice coming from a very meek and weasel-looking man. He was a little shorter than John and wore a dark grey two-piece suit and a black armband around his left arm with the same snowflake symbol that was seen all over town. Unlike John, he was thin and wiry with pale skin, short black hair, thin mustache and wore banker's glasses over beady, dull blue eyes. Alex just met him, but he was already resisting the urge to punch him in the face.

"These men saved Carmen's daughter so I opened the door to let them in." John said in a neutral tone.

"You're supposed to be working on our communication problem, not letting in every stray!"

"The town is overrun with Grimm! The Dust mine is lost! People are dead! Even your company employees are dead!" John shouted back even though the man looked unfazed.

"Fix the communication issue and you animals can get out of here in one piece." Forget punching him in the face, Alex felt like shooting him.

"Just go back to your office and I'll deal with it ok?" John said regaining his composure. The man simply walked away from them but whispered something under his breath that Alex heard.

"Faunus trash." Alex had no idea what he meant by Faunus but his dislike of that man has evolved to pure hatred.

"Who's that dickweed?" Nick asked John.

The Schnee Dust Company site director of our town; Heinrich Sable. He's your typical SDC employee: arrogant, full of himself and an extreme prejudice towards Faunus." John said with clear disdain.

"Why do you let him talk to down to you guys like that? He's a scrawny twig, you can crush him like a bug!" John smirked at Nicks comment.

"Oh, trust me I know I can, but there's already enough bad blood between Humans and Faunus and assaulting an SDC employee will not look good." Alex was getting a headache from all the information he's been keeping track of when they first arrived her.

" _Demon animals referred to as Grimm? Human-animal hybrids called Faunus that apparently have a strained relationship with "normal" Humans? And what the hell is a Dust company? God my head hurts, I need a drink. Seriously what else does this place have? People with super human abilities? Somehow it wouldn't surprise me."_ John was giving Alex a curious glance.

"You alright lad?"

"Yeah, just a lot on my mind. So what's this about a communication problem?" Alex asked quickly changing the subject.

"Right, well you may have noticed the large tower outside. It's our CCT tower that allows us to utilize our scrolls to keep in touch with each other, as well as Vale and the other settlements." Alex nodded for him to continue, assuming that a scroll is probably a type of phone. "Well when the Grimm attacked, the tower was damaged and we lost all communications."

"So why is Heinrich bugging you to fix it? I assume it's not a quick fix."

"He doesn't know how life works, he used to giving orders and getting results." John deadpanned.

"So you don't have another way to contact for help. What about a radio?" Greg asked and John was shaking his head.

"We only have short range radios we use in the mines, nothing that can be used for long distance." Greg reached into a side pouch and pulled out a bulky device with an antenna.

"You sure about that John?" He smirked. John was looking at Greg's radio with wide eyes.

"Well I'll be, can that cover a distance of over 30 miles?!"

"Oh yeah, that's nothing." Greg replied. John couldn't believe his luck. He was convinced that there was no way out and was about to give up hope. But then out of nowhere four young men, Humans no less, show up and help rescue a Faunus child from the Grimm. And if that's not enough, they have a long-range radio they can use to call for help. It wasn't a make or model that he was familiar with, but he knew a radio when he saw one. Maybe they were going to make it out of this alive.

"So is there a frequency we can use?" Alex asked

"Yes 250.5, that's the Vale police department emergency frequency." _Why do I remember that?"_ John thought to himself.

"Alright frequency is set, here goes nothing."

 **Vale Police Department HQ**

Chief Redford sat at his desk going over the paper work that cluttered his office. Every day the pile kept growing with no signs of slowing down. From major issues like Dust robberies, the White Fang and Roman Torchwick, to the small stuff like littering and parking ticket quotas, he was never able to catch a break. He sighed and took another swig of his "coffee" until he heard knocking at his door and set his "coffee" under his desk.

"Yes, what is it?" The door opened to a fresh-faced officer, Carmine if he remembered correctly.

"Sir we have a situation that requires your attention." He nervously spoke to his superior while Redford just sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Did another recruit shoot themselves in the foot again? Or did Jenkins get another sexual harassment complaint?" Redford asked, as if those situations were a common occurrence.

"Ummm no sir, we're getting a radio transmission on the emergency frequency from Oxford".

"Oxford? Hmm, if they're using an emergency channel then something has happened." Redford followed Carmine to the dispatch office where officer Lepelletier was monitoring all calls. She noticed the chief walking in and stood up to address him.

"Chief Redford!" She sounded off. Redford reeled back from her sudden outburst.

"You're not a recruit, you don't have to sound off every time, especially when I'm right in front of you! He snapped at the young woman who immediately blushed from embarrassment.

"Sorry sir!"

"Now what is this about a transmission from Oxford?" Lepelletier turned the volume knob on the radio and Redford was listening to the distress call.

" _Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is Gregory Fedorov. We are holed up in the Oxford town hall building with 30 plus civilians and surrounded by Grimm. The town is lost and has suffered heavy casualties. Requesting immediate aid from any friendlies in the area!"_ Redford had a serious look on his face.

"Sir?" Carmine questioned.

"Get Beacon on the line, I need to talk to Ozpin."

 **A/N: I'm kind of a history nerd and when I read up on the Schnee Dust Company, I immediately thought of the British East India Company. Both companies were part of a powerful kingdom/empire and had a large trade monopoly. While they technically answered to the monarch/council, they definitely had a lot of power in terms of politics. Vol. 4 Ironwood goes to Jacques house to discuss the trade embargo. The fact that the head of Atlas academy, a general in it's military, and a council member going to the house of a CEO, in my opinion shows what kind of pull the SDC has. And whose to say that the SDC doesn't have it's own private army? True they work with the Atlas military, but to what extent? Soldiers can be used to guard Dust sites, but like any military, they still answer to their chain of command and if Ironwood recalls them, the SDC legally couldn't do anything about it. That's just my thoughts on the SDC though.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. I also refuse to discuss anything involving politics or what the news is showing. Don't even try me.**

 **As always: any bitches, moans or complaints, feel free to let me know. Your hate keeps me warm at night!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Escape from Oxford

 **Beacon Academy**

Ozpin was sitting at his desk looking over the new first year teams from his computer. So far, this year has been going well. Unlike last year, nobody died during the initiation and the new first year teams look very promising. Hopefully things keep going in the right direction, especially with the Vytal festival coming up. He took a sip of his coffee and continued reading the files.

" _Miss Rose is very skilled, but she is still young and has much to learn. But I know she'll be an excellent Huntress."_ He took another sip and looked at another profile. _"Oh Mr. Arc, did you really think those transcripts would slip past me? I'm not that old you know? But your heart is in the right place and you have shown remarkable leadership abilities. Continue to show improvement, and I'll sweep this situation under the rug. Perhaps Miss Nikos can help refine your skills?"_ The familiar sound of heels clicking brought him out of his thoughts as he noticed Professor Goodwitch hurriedly approached his desk.

"Professor, Chief Redford is on the line and wishes to speak to you." Ozpin simply nodded while pulling his scroll out.

"Hello Chief, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He calmly said

 _"Bad news I'm afraid. We got a distress call on an emergency frequency from Oxford saying the town is overrun with Grimm."_ Ozpin furrowed his brow. Oxford was sizeable town that rarely had problems with Grimm, at least before the SDC took over. A lot of controversy followed the takeover and it didn't help that the town was primarily a Faunus settlement. The SDC claimed the takeover was perfectly legal, while many Faunus, especially the White Fang claimed that they were using the town to exploit cheap labor. This led to lots of tension and mistrust, which in turn attracted the Grimm to Oxford. But none of that matters now. Ozpins priority has, and always will be the protection of Vale's citizens.

"How bad is it?" He asked Redford.

 _"It's bad. Civilian casualties are severe and the survivors are holed up in the town hall surrounded by the Grimm."_ Ozpins had a stern look upon his face. _"I can spare bullheads to transport the civilians, but they won't have any protection. My men are spread thin enough as it is."_

"You don't even have to ask my friend." Ozpin smiled knowing exactly what Redford was about to ask.

 _"Thanks Oz, I owe you one. The bullheads will be ready in 5 minutes and can reach Oxford in 15."_

"Think nothing of it Redford. I'll have a bullhead ready shortly to escort yours. In the meantime, radio Oxford that help is on the way." Redford thanked Ozpin one last time before hanging up. Ozpin had to think about who to send. He couldn't afford to send any of the teachers. All the third and fourth year students were out doing field work and this was not a situation for first year students. _"Ah, I know."_ Ozpin thought as he dialed a number on his scroll.

 **Team CFVY's room**

Coco Adel sat in her room bored as fuck. Her team's next class wasn't for another hour and half so they had time to kill. Fox decided to use his free time to take a nap, Yatsu was busy meditating and Velvet occupied herself with a book. Coco gave up on watching TV and was playing games on her scroll just to pass the time. She was brought out of her mindless button mashing when her scroll started to ring. Looking at the caller ID, she was surprised to see that Professor Ozpin was calling.

"Hello?"

" _Miss Adel, I need you and your team at the airship docks in 5 minutes ready to leave."_

"Whoa, what's the hurry professor?" Coco asked caught off guard by the urgency.

" _We have an emergency situation and time is of the essence. Your weapons are already on board the bullhead. Now do make haste to the docks."_

"Right away professor!" Coco ended the call, then turned to face Fox's bed to swiftly kick him out of it. He landed on the floor face first before shooting up trying to figure out what happened.

"Alright team, we have 5 minutes to get to the docks."

"Why the hurry?" Velvet asked.

"That was Ozpin, we just got assigned a mission and time is critical. Considering our weapons are already waiting for us, it must be serious. Besides I'm bored and don't feel like sitting here waiting to go to a boring class." Her team quickly got up from what they were doing and exited the room to head towards the docks.

True to his word, their weapons were already on board the bullhead where the pilot was waving them aboard.

"Do you know what is this mission about?" Coco asked the pilot.

"The town of Oxford has been overrun with Grimm and the survivors are taking refuge in their town hall. We are going to be providing security while bullheads evacuate the town. Are there any other questions?" Coco shook her head no to him. The mission was very straightforward.

"Hang tight, we will be arriving in 15 minutes."

 **Back at Oxford**

"Copy that, we'll make our way to the rooftop and hold out until they arrive." Greg responded to the VPD over the radio. John was listening to Greg's call to Vale as if a large weight has been lifted of his shoulders. He still couldn't believe that they were going to make it out alive. Luck must have been in their favor. He looks over his shoulder and sees Alex, Ivan and Nick going around and administering medical attention to the townsfolk. John smiled with approval and knew he had to buys those boys a drink when they got out of here.

"Alright keep pressure on his chest, while I wrap this gauze around him." Alex instructed the bear Faunus. He unraveled the gauze with ease and began wrapping it over the sterilized pad over the man's chest. According to the man's sister, a beowolf slashed him across the chest right before an SDC trooper drew it away from them. Fortunately, it didn't cut too deep and he was still breathing. "Okay, your brother is going to be fine. I've stopped the bleeding, but he is going to need to get to a hospital ASAP." She thanked Alex before going back to comforting her brother. Alex looked in his pack and noticed he used up almost his entire first aid trauma kit. While Greg radioed for help, he noticed at least half of the buildings occupants were tending wounds and injuries, most likely caused by the Grimm. Immediately he, Ivan and Nick went to work. The injuries ranged from broken bones, head injuries such as concussions and severe hemorrhaging. The first lessons they teach in combat first aid is to stabilize the patient. Your main goal was to stop the bleeding and start the breathing. In a sense, you're not trying to "fix" them and make them well, you're literally patching them up enough to not die. From there you get them out of the fight so they can get actual medical assistance. A quick glance of the room showed that everyone with injuries, were in somewhat better condition. They were currently being cared for by the other Faunus, who eagerly assisted Alex and his squad in treating the injuries.

"Good news everyone. Vale is sending a rescue team to get us out of here. ETA 15 minutes out." Greg addressed the room. A wave of cheerful murmurs and whispering swept the room among the towns people. "With that being said, we need to start making our way to the rooftop."

"Now hold on, who put you people in charge and why should I listen to you?" Greg looked over to see Heinrich with his arms crossed and glaring at him. Right as he was about to retort, both Alex and John put a hand on his shoulder and stepped forward to confront Heinrich.

"I did, and I'm glad I did. Unlike you, their helping with our situation instead of cowering in an office like a sniveling weasel!" John said proudly while Heinrich's right eye was starting to twitch in frustration.

"How dare you speak to me like that you dirty animal! Why I should *hagrrrhegh*, SLAM!" A powerful grip on his throat stopped him from finishing his sentence and a sudden pain in his back let him know he was slammed into a wall. He regained his focus only to be looking Alex in the eye while he maintained a death grip on his neck. Henrich struggled to get free but Alex's grip was firm and not going to budge.

"Heinrich, I can speak for everyone in here and I say we are sick of your shit. You've done nothing to help, you bitch about things more than my cousin, and your not so subtle racism towards these people is starting to piss me and my friends off." His tone was firm and got the point across without yelling in anger, yet also calm and very nonchalant. Everyone in the roomed watched the scene with great enthusiasm. Their collective thoughts about a human standing up for them and that same human bringing down a high ranking SDC employee off his pedestal brought a smile to their faces. "Now unless you're planning on being useful in the next few minutes, you can kindly shut your fucking mouth and stay out of everyone's way or I'll make you useful. I'm thinking a meat-shield to keep the Grimm off us would work, or I can just shoot you. What do you say?" Heinrich didn't know if he was serious or not, but one look into his eyes and it was clear Alex wasn't joking. His gaze was solid and bore straight into your soul. Having most of his face covered only added to his intimidating demeanor and Heinrich didn't feel like taking a chance. He simply nodded before Alex released his grip and slumped to the floor trying to catch his breath.

"I need to buy you boys drinks and cigars after this." John leaned over to whisper to Greg who was watching the situation with mild interest. He knew Alex had an interesting way of dealing with people he didn't like. A combination of sarcastic mocking and low-key threats to their lives was his specialty. It's like pointing a gun at someone and telling them you're going to kill them while smiling at the same time. And it wasn't a psychotic sadistic smile either, it was just a friendly casual smile. Would Alex have actually killed someone like that? Probably not, he was a good guy and never had to go past threats. He looked up to see Alex helping Heinrich to his feet and dusting off his suit in an exaggerated-mocking gesture.

"See Heinrich? I'm glad we can come to an understanding. Now why don't you just sit in the corner and let the grown-ups handle things?" Alex said in a deceivingly friendly tone towards the man. Without so much as a glance, Heinrich left the area to get out of the Russians way.

"So, should we start making our way to rooftops?" Ivan asked ignoring the incident with Heinrich.

"Right. Greg, you and Nick head up first to make sure the roof is clear and keep watch of the perimeter, I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of the Grimm. Ivan you're with me in helping the wounded up, while providing security from the rear. Also, when everyone is up top, I want you to blow this main staircase. It'll cut off second floor access from any Grimm that try to come in." Everyone nodded and immediately began to move. Greg and Nick moved up the stairs that led to the roof access while the Faunus followed them. Alex, Ivan and John were staying back helping carry the severely wounded. One by one the Faunus made their way up the stairs where they eagerly awaited rescue. Soon it was only Alex, Ivan and John down below who were setting up explosives on the staircase. The stairs were primarily made of wood and was only wide enough for three people so it wouldn't take much to destroy them. One brick of explosives at the most.

"You sure there's no other way to reach the second floor besides these stairs?" Ivan asked John while finishing setting up the explosives.

"Trust me, I lived in this town all my life and know this place inside and out. This is the only way to the second floor and the roof." John explained to the Russians.

"One way up or down? Talk about a fire hazard." Alex joked. John chuckled while Ivan was finishing setting up the explosives. He had never seen an explosive that resembled clay in his life. It came in the shape of a brick wrapped in film-like plastic that Ivan just casually cut away at with his knife. Alex and Ivan explained that the explosive was very stable and could only be trigged with the blasting caps inserted. Once all the explosives were in place, the three got to safe distance before Ivan activated the detonator.

"Fire in the hole!" *click* KA-BOOM! The explosion shook the building and was felt from the rooftops. The townsfolk were caught off guard by the blast while Nick and Greg barely reacted to it.

"Well there's no going back now." Alex said admiring Ivan's handiwork.

 **Meanwhile**

The alpha beowolf patiently watched the humans enter the large building, being let in by other's like their kind. Ever since its first contact with these men, the alpha has been studying them intently. They stayed close to each other, always scanning around them for threats and kept in a formation to provide support for each other. Even their outfits were an enigma to it. A couple times while watching them, it lost track of them for moment when they stood still, seemingly blending into the background. For an alpha or any experienced Grimm, it wouldn't deceive them for long, but the lesser kind could easily be fooled. They didn't dress, fight or act like the humans it fought before. But now they were cornered in the building, with the rest of the pitiful townspeople. Time for them to die. The alpha took in its breath and let out an ear-piercing howl, signaling its brethren to attack.

"Fuck, that can't be good." Nick said reacting to the howl. The Faunus on the rooftop showed visible signs of distress as well.

"Looks like we're going to have company." Greg said to Nick. The rooftop was rather spacious with many air condition units and ventilation shafts to use as cover and hide behind. They had a good view of the town and could see anything coming for them from any direction.

"You guys hear that?" Alex asked, coming up from below with Ivan and Greenwood.

"The explosion or that howl? Because we heard both" Nick responded.

"Okay, we have 10 minutes before our evac arrives and this area is about to become hot. Our main priority is to keep these people safe and out of harm's way. Fortunately, the Grimm are only animals, so we're not going to have to worry about being shot at. With that being said, we still need to be careful." Everyone nodded in agreement as Alex continued. "Ivan, take the front side of the building. That's going to be the obvious place to break into and where they'll most likely storm so setup your bipod and keep the suppression on them." Ivan nodded as Alex continued. "Nick, me and you are going to be running interference for the other sides of the buildings. Ivan can hold the front side by himself, while we hold the sides and back each other up. Oh, and get an RPG ready, I'll feel like we're going to need it."

"Sure thing boss." Nick responded while unslinging one of the RPGs and getting it ready to fire.

"Greg, climb on top of that AC unit to get a better view. You're going to be watching our six, but keep your head on a swivel and radio us if you see something." Alex then turned to Greenwood. "And John, make everyone keeps their heads down and out of the line of fire.

"Don't worry about us kid." John said while smiling.

"It's going to get loud and confusing up here so use your radios to keep in contact with each other. Everyone know where they're going?" The group gave an affirmative nod then headed to their positions. Ivan set up the bipod for his machine gun on the ledge overlooking the front of the building. It would keep his weapon stable while firing down the street below. Greg climbed to the top of the most central AC unit, giving him an excellent view. He switched over the magnifier for his scope, allowing him to engage at longer ranges with his high-powered rifle. Using the additional magnification, he did a 360 sweep of the area only to see nothing. Alex and Nick stayed on opposite sides off the building keeping watch, but were ready to run anywhere else to provide covering fire. Nick's RPG was strapped on him and ready to fire, while Alex made sure his under barrel grenade launcher was ready as well. John kept low with the other Faunus, giving words of encouragement to keep their spirits up. Heinrich just sat in the corner, not saying anything since his "conversation" with Alex. The Faunus civilians were taking cover behind the maze of ventilation shafts that were concentrated near Greg's position. Once again everything was quiet. Not a single sound could be heard.

"Here they come!" Ivan shouted. Three dozen beowolfs charged up the road at full speed, only to run into a wall of machine gun fire. They were bunched up close and stacked behind each other, making easy targets for Ivan. The one's in the front were cut down with ease, while the one's following them tripped over their fallen comrades and met the same fate. It wasn't long before the road was littered with beowolf carcasses, which slowed down the Grimm's initial attack, but showed no sign of letting up. Thanks to Ivan's SCORPION system for his machine gun, he could fire over 550 rounds on them without worrying about reloading. He looked up to see more Grimm approaching. This time alongside the beowolfs, there were ursai and borbatusk's charging his position. Ivan aim his weapon at the charging Grimm, ready for wave two. Meanwhile Alex was on his right flank fighting against a wave of more beowolfs and ursai.

"Nick give Alex a hand, I'll watch your side!" Greg radioed to Nick.

"On my way!" Nick hurriedly crossed the rooftop over to Alex who maintained a controlled rate of fire against the Grimm. He concentrated fire on the closest one, then snapped over to another one drawing closer. Nick looked over to Alex, who nodded at him before he continued firing. "Looks like you could use a hand buddy!"

"Focus on the right side of the street, I'll take the left!" With Nick here, Alex had smaller field of fire to watch over, which meant a smaller chance of the Grimm reaching the building. Both were quickly taking down the Grimm with well-placed shots to chest and head areas. The beowolfs were fast but went down easily, while the ursai were tougher but slower and easier targets.

Meanwhile Greg kept a close watch on the rear and left sides of the building, while supporting the rest of the squad with sniper fire. He would take two shots down Ivan's lane, then move to Alex and Nick's before looking over the unguarded sides and repeating the process. Greg looked down at the townsfolk, who kept their heads low and were doing their best to protect their ears from the noise. He knew their weapons were loud, but he and the rest of the squad were used to it, unlike everyone else. It was worse for the Faunus with enhanced hearing thanks to their extra ears. It was a blessing and a curse at the same time.

Despite the onslaught of Ivan's machine gun and taking many casualties, the Grimm managed to reach the doors of the building. The borbatusks were attempting to breach the door using their spin attack like a battering ram. Ivan didn't think it was possible for a boar to spin in an almost cartoonish way, but he and his squad were dead men protecting animal people from demon animals, so he didn't think too hard about it. He instead reached into a side pouch and pulled out an incendiary grenade. These weren't the thermite variety used to destroy vehicles or equipment, the one's he had were pressurized with white phosphorus and designed to be used against personnel. While it was very frowned upon to actually use against people, they were useful in clearing out fighting positions due to the fact it lingers in the area, causing extreme burning and suffocation. So long as you had a reason, they were perfectly legal despite what everyone says. Ivan pulled the pin and dropped the grenade down below towards the Grimm at the door and with a loud *pop* the grenade exploded, releasing the deadly chemicals amongst the Grimm. He looked down to see the Grimm running sporadically and screaming in pain as the white phosphorus did its job, before they collapsed and died from the extreme burning sensation.

Nick lobbed a frag grenade that rolled towards a group of borbatusks that weren't paying attention as it exploded below them, sending deadly shrapnel into their exposed underside. Meanwhile Alex fired a round from his grenade launcher, breaking up a group of ursai. He looked down at his watch to see only five more minutes before the rescue team arrives. A roar in the distance caused him to look back up, only to witness the largest scorpion he had ever seen smash through a house and move towards them. Both he and Nick went wide eyed at the beast.

"That thing's bigger than a fucking house!" Nick exclaimed.

"Uhh Nick, do you mind?"

"Way ahead of you man." Nick replied, already placing the RPG on his shoulder, while taking a quick look over his shoulder to make sure everyone was clear of the back blast. Never in his life would he ever consider he'd have to use an RPG against a giant scorpion. He used them against tanks, armored vehicles and buildings, but a giant insect was new one. The deathstalker never knew what hit it. The rocket shot out of the tube at such a high velocity that it hit its target before the beast could even react. Alex and Nick watched as the deathstalker went limp and collapsed on the ground. You could tell where the rocket hit by its face…or lack of face. The rocket made a nice clean hole that broke through the exoskeleton before exploding inside the thing.

"Nice shot Nick." Alex complimented to his squad mate.

"You were right, we were going to need it." He replied while tossing aside the empty tube.

Greg was still sniping at any Grimm that tried to flank the building with deadly accuracy. He saw Ivan was still holding his ground, while Alex and Nick just took down a deathstalker with ease. However, on the left side of the building, he saw beowolfs were climbing the damaged CCT tower, howling like crazy and the whole tower was shaking violently. He stood up to get a better of the ground and noticed four ursai down by the base. Two of them were pushing the tower towards the building, while the other two pulled it towards them, like they were trying to knock it down. He noticed the height of the tower and the distance from the building before it dawned on him.

"Alex, I need you here now! They're knocking down that tower to make a ladder!" Greg shouted over the radio. Alex did not hesitate to make his way to the other side of the building to stop what they were doing. He had to admit it was a clever plan, especially for animals. Greg jumped down from his elevated position and ran towards Alex to assist him and get a better view of the ground. Both of them fired at the ursai attacking the tower in the hopes of stopping it from getting knocked down. The ursai quickly fell to their shots but the tower was still crawling with Grimm and more were on the way to knock down the tower. Looking down near the base of the tower, Alex noticed a number of crates with that snowflake emblem on them. But what really got his attention was the large orange warning label the read "EXPLOSIVE" on them. He quickly fired his grenade launcher at the large pile of crates that were conveniently next to the support beams furthest away from the building. The resulting explosion from the dust crates obliterated the rear support beams, causing to tower to wobble and fall backwards away from them. The Grimm that climbed the tower were crushed beneath its weight while Alex and Greg picked off any stragglers.

"Pretty convenient that those explosive crates were there to knock the tower down the other way. I thought that shit only happened in cheesy action films." Greg remarked while shooting an ursa in the head.

"I'm not complaining, nor am I going to question it." Alex said as he capped another beowolf, unaware it was the alpha beowolf.

"That wolf you just killed looked bigger than the rest. It also had more bones sticking out of it." Greg said also unaware that Alex just killed the alpha beowolf.

"Hey it does. Maybe it's a pack leader or something? Oh well it's dead now, so who cares?" Alex responded nonchalantly. Many of the Grimm started to fall back, seeing the alpha and many of their kin killed off by the Russians. Without the alpha's leadership, their attack fell apart and were being picked off by the defenders.

"Are they retreating?" Ivan asked

"Fuck it, I'm not complaining." Nick responded.

"Guys look over there!" John said pointing towards the horizon. Greg pulled up his rifle to look through the magnifier and saw four large VTOL aircraft heading towards them.

"That must be our ride out of here!" Greg said with excitement.

"Quick, throw a smoke signal grenade to get their attention." Alex said. Greg reached into a pouch to retrieve the smoke canister. He pulled the pin and tossed it towards the center of the roof, which rapidly created a cloud of bright purple smoke to draw the attention of the bullheads.

 **Team CFVY**

"This place is a mess, I hope we're not too late." Velvet said while looking out the side of the bullhead. They rendezvoused with the VPD bullheads shortly after they left Beacon and made it to Oxford without running into any trouble.

"Look over there!" Yatsu got everyone's attention pointing towards the purple smoke coming from the roof of a large building.

"That must them, bring us down!" Coco told the pilot.

"Roger that!"

 **The rooftop**

"Everyone up, it's time to leave!" Alex addressed to the civilians, who were all too eager to finally get away from this place. Greg and Ivan were waving their hands to direct the bullheads where to land, while Nick kept watch for Grimm. Even though most of the Grimm fell back, there were still stragglers trying to get them, which were easily disposed of. John and the able-bodied Faunus were helping everyone get aboard the medical bullheads, while the fourth bullhead lowered to offload its passengers to defend the landing zone. Coco scanned the rooftop taking in the sight of the Faunus civilians and one angry looking SDC employee boarding the bullheads, but stopped when she spotted four armed individuals in camouflaged combat gear. One of them looked her way, then started to walk up to her followed by his companions.

"And who might you four be?" Alex addressed to the new arrivals. He looked them over with mild interest and curiosity. _"They're young, teenagers most likely. Yet something is different about them, they're defiantly not normal. Two males and two females. Both males have visible weapons. The dark-skinned one has a pair of bladed gauntlets, while the tall samurai has a giant sword. Yeesh, I thought Ivan was big, and is that other kid blind? I don't see any weapons on the females except for the ammunition belt on the one who looks like she should be in fashion. The rabbit girl is hanging back and looks uncomfortable. I wonder what's in that box? You know both of those girls are pretty cute…*mental slap*. Dammit Alex, don't be creepy. Oh shit, I think the chick with sunglasses said something."_ Alex broke away from his thoughts to pay attention to what the girl was saying. "I'm sorry what was that?" The girl lowered her sunglasses and gave Alex a quizzical look.

"I said we're your ride out of here. What happened, did you like what you saw and got distracted?" Coco put her hand on her hip and playfully smiled at him. Alex didn't expect her to be so…forward. Thankfully he kept his calm, cool, composure up around her.

"Nah, I'm actually starting to go deaf and just didn't hear you the first time." He replied in a neutral tone. Technically he wasn't lying.

"Whatever you say." She said in a sarcastic tone while putting her hands up.

"Hey Alex, if you're done flirting can we go now?" Nick said loud enough for both the squad and Team CFVY to hear, which got a round of chuckles from everyone except Alex who just rolled his eyes. The group of 8 finished their laughs and jumped into the last bullhead, finally saying goodbye to Oxford. Alex looked over to the other bullheads and saw John, as well as Carmen and Marigold waving thanks at him. He simply waved back before he felt someone tapping his shoulder. It was that girl with the sunglasses smiling at him.

"How about a proper introduction? I'm Coco Adel." She confidently stated while holding her hand out.

"Alex Volkov." He responded as he reached to shake her hand. One leader to another; One warrior to another.

"That's an interesting name, I'm guessing your not from around here?"

"No, we're not." Alex said in his most casual tone. "So where are we going?" He asked trying to change the subject.

"Those bullheads are going to the hospital, we on the other hand are heading back to Beacon. We need to let Ozpin know the mission was a success. By the way were you guys the one's who called for help and defended the town?"

"Yes we were, not sure how long we could've lasted if you guys didn't show." Alex replied

"Well I'm sure Ozpin would like to thank you guys for helping out. Just sit tight and we'll be at Beacon shortly." Alex looked to the rest of his squad who merely shrugged at him. None of them knew what the hell she was talking about, but were too tired and hungry to care.

"All right, to Beacon then."

 **A/N:**

 **I have a lot of respect for fan fiction writers. Writing is fucking hard and time consuming. You don't get paid to do this, yet you still do it for entertainment purposes. No one is making you do this, you just do it because you like it. Its also nice knowing that people out there share your same creative outlook on a fandom. You'll always have those guys with degrees in literature who'll over analyze your writing or hardcore fanboys/girls who didn't like one tiny detail about a character you wrote about. Don't take it so** **personnel, keep writing and take advice from the good criticism. And if someone is being a total fag, there's this cool trick called ignoring them because your on a computer. Right click, delete, block user, done.**

 **Anyways the next chapter is going to cross into cannon timeline, so it'll be a little while before it's posted while I work mostly on the character interaction without completely fucking it away or breaking the story line.**

 **Thanks for reading and as always, criticism, advice to improve writing skills and suggestions on where to go are much appreciated. Or if you want to just let me know I suck, I'll appreciate the feedback.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The arrival

 **Yeah I'm still alive. I got diagnosed with this stupid thing called adulthood and I gotta say it fucking sucks. Having to work and pay bills, plus school is starting so that's going to eat up a lot of time. The story is still alive, just going to be really slow on updates from here on out. Who knows, maybe I'll learn how to write better while in college for better quality chapters.**

"So, what's with the masks? I mean you guys can't be that ugly, right? Coco teased, referring to the balaclavas Alex and his squad wore.

"It's actually because we're so handsome, we have to keep our faces hidden so other guys have a chance with the ladies." Nick answered while winking at Coco who quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Well in Nicks case it's to keep men away. They're very attracted to him for some reason." Greg retorted and got a laugh from everyone on the bullhead.

"Okay first off; fuck you and secondly, look me in the eye and tell me he was not the most beautiful man any of us have ever seen." Nick looked over towards Coco and Velvet. "I shit you not, he was just as hot you two combined." Both were caught off guard by Nick's comment and had no response until Ivan chimed in.

"What Nick meant to say was that the guy was "pretty", but you two young ladies are prettier." Ivan casually stated. Not use to compliments, especially from guys, Velvet's face was redder than the Soviet flag, while Coco kept her cool but had a very subtle shade of pink across her cheeks that would've gone unnoticed except for the trained eyes of Alex and Greg, who noticed her blushing.

"Oh, stop it Ivan." Coco said while smiling. Alex, listening to the exchange decided he should change the subject before things got weird.

"To answer your question Coco, our balaclava's have multiple uses. Obviously, they're used to conceal our identities, never know who's out there and may want to do harm to you or people you know. They're good for keeping our faces warm in cold weather and protection against sand in desert environments. I personally enjoy the intimidation factor they provide. And you can fold it to be a neck gator or a beanie if you so desire." Alex finished explaining while CFVY listened with interest.

"Doesn't it get hot and uncomfortable wearing those all the time?" Velvet asked.

"Sometimes it does, but we're used to it and besides in a battlefield where your adrenaline is pumping like crazy, you tend to ignore small things like that." Alex finished while CFVY gave agreeing nods. Both the Russians and CFVY introduced each other and were having idle conversations to pass the time. It was quickly noted that Fox and Yatsu were not much for conversations. Other than introducing themselves, they've barley spoken at all. Not that it mattered too much seeing as how Coco's confident and outgoing attitude made up for it. And while Velvet seemed shy and skittish at first, she is just as talkative as Coco. Alex guessed that she was one of those "quiet at first, but will open when they're comfortable around you" type of people. The remaining few minutes of the flight was filled with general topics like how CFVY were huntsmen in training and Beacon was their school to train to fight the Grimm and stuff that everyone already knows **. (And the author didn't feel like writing in the cliché talking points in almost every fanfic story).** At the same time Alex, with experience in bullshitting and making up excuses to his superiors, could steer the conversations away from them by only giving very vague and general answers. It was working until Velvet asked a really specific question.

"So Alex, where are you guys from?" She asked. Ivan, Greg and Nick casually glanced at Alex, hoping he had a story they can roll with. Unfortunately, he didn't. However, luck must have been on their side when they heard the speakers come on.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're approaching Beacon and will be landing shortly. It looks like Ozpin is already waiting for you at the docks." The pilot said to his passengers. Alex was thankful he didn't have to answer just yet on where they came from, but that window was closing fast. As the bullhead started its decent, the Russians looked out the side and took in the grand sight of Beacon Academy. It defiantly looks like the prestigious school for Huntsman that Coco mentioned to them. Ozpin, with his trademark cane and coffee mug watched as team CFVY and four strangely dressed men exited the bullhead and made their way towards him.

"Well Miss Adel, I take the mission was successful?" Ozpin inquired, although he was more interested in the newcomers that arrived.

"Yes professor, but we really didn't do much, it was Alex and his friends that did most of the leg work. We just gave them a ride." Coco responded while pointing her thumb towards the Russians. Just like everyone else did, Ozpin was looking over them with great interest. He obviously noticed their strange attire, equipment and weapons but was focusing more on the finer details about them. He noticed the shoulder patch that depicted a parachute and a plane and with what he assumed was a flag in the background. The lettering on it was written in some language he couldn't read. The men had an air of discipline and professionalism that seemed to radiate off them. From the way they stood, to the trigger discipline they were demonstrating with their weapons, Ozpin could've sworn he was looking at some of Ironwoods soldiers. Speaking of their weapons, the way they held them sparked his curiosity. They were held in a position that if threatened, they could quickly bring them up and use them. Fortunately, they didn't show any sign of hostilities. If anything, they were looking at him the same way he was: filled with curiosity and trying to size him up. They defiantly had his attention now.

"Did they now?" He asked and Coco simply nodded.

"They were the ones who radioed for help and fought off the Grimm while we made our way to the town." Velvet chimed in. Ozpin kept a straight face when he heard that information.

"So, you're the ones being hailed as the Saviors of Oxford?" Alex gave him a confused glance. "Word is already spreading about how four men defended the town from an army of Grimm. Seems I'm in the presence of local celebrities." He finished with a smile.

"That didn't take long." Greg said in response to how fast the word spread about their actions.

"To be fair sir, I wouldn't call us heroes or celebrities. We were just looking for a place to rest and get some food. We just happen to stumble into the chaos and when we saw the dead townsfolk we tried to leave." Alex said to Ozpin.

"And yet you found the survivors and stayed to help. You could've walked away and saved your own skins, but you didn't. You took the initiative to call for help and kept the people safe. So there's no need to be modest. You demonstrated skills and traits all Huntsmen should possess." Ozpin said while noticing his accent.

"Like we told Coco, we're not Huntsmen. We're just travelers from the south. But I understand what you're trying to say sir. Thank you." Alex responded, hoping the conversation can move on.

"Think nothing of it." Ozpin turned towards Coco. "Miss Adel, you and your team are dismissed. Be sure to log the mission hours in your records so you don't get penalized for missing todays classes."

"Yes professor. Alex, I'll catch you guys later." She said while giving a flirtatious wink towards him before walking away. Alex could only raise an eyebrow in response.

"Dude I think she likes you." Nick jokingly whispered to Alex.

"Now's not the time Nick." He whispered back. Ozpin cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Alex, was it? If you have a moment I would like to speak to you and your friends in my office. I have a few questions that hopefully you can answer."

 _"Ah shit, I guess the part where we explain where we're really from is coming up. Fuck it, no point in delaying the inevitable."_ He was about to agree until he felt a familiar rumble in his stomach. _"Eh, I'll wait until after dinner._ We'll do it sir, but first, me and my friends haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Would you mind if we grab some food from the cafeteria? I assume your school has one? _What kind of stupid question is that? It's a school, of course they have one!"_ Ozpin just lightly chuckled.

"Yes, yes of course you can. Head through those doors, make a right and it'll be at the end of the hall. Just let the staff know I said it's okay and they can call me if they have a problem. Meet me in my office in an hour."

"Thank you, and your office is…?"

"Go back the way you came and take the elevator at the end of the hall to the top floor."

"We appreciate your hospitality. And we promise to answer any questions you have sir."

"I look forward to it. Oh, and you're free to take your weapons with you, but it should go without saying that they will stay on safe and not to be used as a threat to my students."

"Of course sir." The conversation ended with the Russians heading into the main building towards the cafeteria, while Ozpin watched from behind.

 _"Dressed for war, yet very polite and respectful. What an interesting group of men."_ Ozpin thought to himself.

 **Beacon Cafeteria**

 **1645 hours**

After a long day of classes and training, the students of Beacon finish the day off with dinner before heading back to their rooms to do homework or just unwind and relax. The room was filled with idle conversation and bustling with activity. Sitting amongst the crowd, is a very familiar group of teenage girls.

"Ruby! You're getting crumbs all over my notes!" Weiss shouted to her partner.

"Mph…sorry Weiss." Ruby said while still stuffing herself.

"Ugh, don't talk with your mouth full you dolt!"

"Calm down ice queen. Besides why are you doing your homework now? We have 'til next week." Yang asked.

"Some of us actually care about our schoolwork and education." The heiress responded.

"Come on Weiss, we're going to meet up with JNPR in the library later. Why don't you join us?" Ruby pleaded to her partner.

"No."

"Pleeaasssse?" Ruby asked grabbing on to Weiss's arm and doing her famous puppy dog face.

"Once again, no. And stop touching me." Weiss responded coldly as Ruby slumped down in sadness.

"You're no fun ice queen. Come on Rubes we'll have fun without her." Yang said while rubbing Ruby's back to cheer her up. "Hey Blake, you're coming with us, right?" She asked the final member of RWBY who was distracted by something across the room. "Blake? Hey, you still there?" She blinked a few times before turning back to Yang.

"Yeah I'm fine." The secret Faunus responded.

"You were staring across the room, what were you looking at?" The brawler asked.

"Those guys in the corner table, I've never seen them before." Yang and Weiss turned to look, while Ruby was still feeling down about Weiss not wanting to hang out. The three remaining members looked upon the Russians with great curiosity.

"You think they're new students?" Yang asked.

"I don't think so, they look too old to be students." Blake replied.

"Well they don't look much older than us." Yang said with a light smirk.

"What are they wearing? Their clothes look so rugged and cumbersome." Weiss commented.

"I think their outfits look cool." Yang responded.

"But where did they come from?" Blake asked.

"Wherever they're from, they have weird weapons." Weiss responded.

"Seriously, those guys are armed to the teeth. Who needs that many weapons?" *SWOOSH* "Hey, where'd Ruby go?" A confused Yang asked.

 **A few minutes earlier**

The Russians got plenty of weird looks and glances from the students and staff, but they were hungry, tired and didn't give a fuck what anyone thought. They found the cafeteria and got food without any hindrance from the staff, much to their relief. Right now, they were sitting at a table in the corner furthest away from the students, enjoying their first meal since the "incident". Without their helmets and balaclavas on, they looked like regular people. There really wasn't anything special about their appearance. They were young men with clean shaven faces and short, clean cut hair. Alex had dark brown hair and eyes that bore into your soul when he looked at you. Nick also had brown eyes but his hair was a lighter brown and slightly longer than the rest. His only other distinctive feature was that permeant smirk on his face. Greg had black hair that was neatly combed to the right that complimented his blue eyes. And finally, Ivan was sporting the classic tall, blonde hair, blue eyed, Aryan master race look. If he was a German during the second world war, he would have been on a recruiting poster for the SS. But anyone who hung out with him, knew he was best described as "the gentle giant."

"So we're all in agreement that we're telling Ozpin the whole truth?" Alex asked his squad mates, who all nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sooner or later people are going to start asking questions and with our new found "fame" from Oxford, someone's going to find out about us. Might as well get it over with. Besides, when you said we were travelers from the south, he had look on his face like he didn't believe you. He could probably tell if we try to bullshit him." Greg reasoned.

"Yup all in and balls to the wall. Just do it fast like bandage." Nick said.

"If anything, what's the worst that can happen?" Ivan asked.

"Oh why did you have to say that big guy? Now something is defiantly going to go wrong." Nick said while facepalming.

"Stop being dramatic. In case you forgot, we have these cameras on our helmets." Alex said while pointing to his helmet." If I learned anything in life, is that a picture is worth a thousand words and seeing is believing. These things were on when we were in Syria and they were on when we got here so if he doesn't believe us, we show him the camera feed." Alex explained.

"Good thing we had those, it makes things so much simpler." Ivan said.

"Now that we got that stuff out of the way, let's talk about the real issues. For starters, why are there so many hot girls in this school and why weren't they around when I was in school?" Nick did bring up a good point. Everyone couldn't help but notice all the young, attractive girls that populated Beacon.

"I know. There's just something about a girl in a school uniform that drives me nuts." Greg said.

"Alex, didn't you go to a prep school that required a uniform?" Ivan asked.

"Ugh don't remind me. But I agree with Greg, the schoolgirl uniform is a lovely sight." The Russians continued their conversations, unaware that everyone's favorite red reaper was quietly sneaking up behind them, ogling their weapons while she did. Normally Ruby is very open and upfront about people's weapons, however her sister and team mates kindly informed her that she needs to stop getting in people's personal space about their weapons. Since she promised not to bother people, she did the next best thing: Quietly sneak up behind them without them knowing to look at their weapons. She felt like a kid locked in a store that sold toys, candy and puppies all at once when it came to the Russian weapons. She was practically drooling over Alex and Nick's assault rifles, Ivan's machine gun, Greg's sniper rifle and the pistols they all had holstered on their sides. Ruby couldn't take it anymore.

 _"Must. Touch. Weapons."_ She screamed in her head. _"Ooh, that's a nice-looking pistol, just a quick touch."_ She slowly reached out towards the holstered pistol…only for a gloved hand to grab her wrist with lightning fast reflexes, causing her to yelp in surprise. Ruby tried to break free but the man had a very firm grip on her. What surprised her the most was that his back was to her and not even looking at her.

"You know, it's very rude to sneak up on people and try and take their weapons." Alex said in a casual tone while looking over his shoulder towards Ruby.

"Iwasnttryingtostealyourgunijustwantedtotouchitandmaybeholditbecauseitlookedreallycooland…" Her unintelligible rambling was stopped when Alex released his grip on her wrist and used it to cover her mouth. She looked at him wide eyed while he had a light smirk on his face.

"Now I want you to take a deep breath, and say that again only slower and calmer. Do you understand?" Ruby nodded her head.

"Okay, one more time." Alex said while removing his hand from her mouth. She slowly inhaled, then exhaled just like he said.

"Iwasnttryingtostealyourgunijustwantedtotouchitandmaybeholditbecauseitlookedreallycooland…" Alex facepalmed while the rest of the table had amused looks on their faces. He looked up and saw three more girls approaching their table.

 _"Now what?"_ He thought, as Yang came up to him.

"Sorry about my sister, she's really enthusiastic about weapons." She said.

"Sister? You two look nothing alike." Nick said, stating the obvious.

"We get that a lot, Yang and I are half-sisters." Ruby explained while the Russians accepted the answer.

"Right, well it's fine, but for future reference if you want to look at our weapons you can just ask." Alex said.

"Ooh can I look at them now!?" Ruby asked with stars in her eyes.

"Sorry, but we have a meeting with Professor Ozpin coming up." Ivan said to little red riding hood.

"What does the Headmaster want with you guys?" Weiss asked, being nosy.

"I believe that's between us and the headmaster." Greg said in a flat tone.

"Well it's been nice meeting you young ladies, but we're going to go smoke before our meeting." Alex said, trying to find an excuse to leave early.

"You can't smoke on school grounds! And besides it's disgusting." Weiss scolded the Russians who only shrugged.

"Don't worry, we won't get caught." Nick said with confidence. And with that, the Russians said one last goodbye to RWBY before heading outside to go smoke and listen to Nick talk about the size of Yang's chest.

"Ugh, what a bunch of degenerates." Weiss chided.

"They seem like cool guys, might be fun to hang out with them." Yang said.

"I hope we see them again, their weapons looked so cool." Ruby practically squealed.

"We never got their names or why they were here." Blake said.

"Well then let's make sure we definitely see them again." Ruby responded.

 _"Hmm, four humans in strange clothing, with weird guns and equipment. It couldn't be the guys from the news. Can it?"_ Blake thought to herself.

 **Ozpins office**

"Have a seat gentleman." Ozpin gestured to his guests who readily complied. "I must say you're a lot younger than I thought you would be."

"Thank you, sir. I like the whole clock theme you have going on." Alex said referring to the design of Ozpins office.

"You're very polite and respectful. And yet, you boys look like you're ready for a war. There is only one kingdom on Remnant with any formal military, and you're definitely not from there. And you're too well trained and equipped to be simple travelers from the south. So tell me, who are you four?" Ozpin wasted no time in his questioning.

"Straight to the point then? Well professor, have you ever heard of the Russian Federation?" Alex asked.

"Can't say that I have."

"What about life after death?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"My name is Sgt. Alexander Volkov, that's Sgt. Gregory Fedorov, Cpl. Nicholas Stepanov and Cpl. Ivan Sokolov. We are part of the Russian Airborne Troopers and well…we died."

 **A/N:**

 **-Hopefully I didn't fuck away the character interactions.**

 **-Okay you can definitely tell I'm taking short cuts writing this. I can't be the only one who get's tired reading about stuff we already know about. We know what the main characters look like, we know about the plot elements and we know about the stuff in the universe i.e. dust, aura, semblance etc. So why do we to always put it in? Yeah,yeah so guys new to the fandom can understand and all that, but really anyone who reads or writes fan fiction typically have already seen or read the original series it's based off of. But that's just my opinion.**

 **-If you have any suggestions on how the story should progress, please let me know. Honestly I'm just making this up as I go along. I've spent hours pacing around my room trying to act out the story in my head so it makes sense. I'm one of those guys who has these great ideas in my head, but I can't put it on paper in way that makes sense. Kinda sucks actually.**

 **-On a lighter note, Vol.5 is coming soon and hopefully we get good character development. I enjoy the fan theories about what they think is going to happen. There's the one where they think Winter is going to die, especially with what she said in that trailer: "I'm not always going to be around to save you." I can see the possible foreshadowing but remember this isn't Game of Thrones. There's the one where Cinder pulls a Prince Zuko a becomes a good guy. Maybe Pyrrha's soul is affecting her or maybe she is feeling regret, who knows? And one I found interesting is that Pyrrha comes back as a Grimm warrior controlled by Salem who tries to kill everyone. That could be interesting as it will fuck with everyone's mind, especially Jaune's. I can see her saying stuff like "Why did you leave me to die?" or "We could've been something!" You know, stuff that will mess with his head. But again that's just me.**

 **As always RWBY belongs to RoosterTeeth**

 **Criticism,reviews,hate mail and death threats are always appreciated**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, four months? School kinda does that, especially if you're studying engineering. Anyways if you managed to read this far into the story, then you the real MVP. But seriously I'm still surprised by the reactions I got and I appreciate the feedback. Just know that I only write when I have free time so it doesn't update as fast. This next chapter is kind of a filler but don't fret, more is coming in the indefinite future. Until then, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year**

Chapter 6: Another filler? Really?

 **Dormitory wing 2037 hours**

"Well that went better than I thought it would." Ivan said.

"Don't jump to any conclusions yet Ivan, Ozpin and his assistant are watching the helmet camera feeds to verify our story." Greg replied.

"Oh, damn I just remembered I have footage of that New Year's party at the barracks on my cam. You guys remember, right?" Nick asked the group.

"Yeah, I remember: Alex was the duty NCO so he couldn't drink, Ivan got into a fight with Sergei and they ended up destroying all the furniture in the common area, Vlad threw up on Natasha and she kicked him in the groin, Dimitri took a piss in a dryer that Anna still had clothes in, I lost my room key and had to scale the building to our room on the fourth floor and I can't believe you got all of that on your helmet cam." Greg finished recalling the events.

"Yeah that one. Heh, good times right guys?" Nick said with a smile.

"I'm sure Ozpin and that Goodwitch lady will appreciate seeing all that." Alex said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"By the way Nick, where did you disappear to after Alex and the other duties got the party under control that night?" Ivan asked.

"I honestly don't remember much. All I know is that I woke up the next morning tied up in the dumpster behind the barracks." Nick replied

"You didn't record anything?" Greg asked.

"Nah, I think the battery died by that time."

"Son of a bitch! Why won't this stupid door open?!" Alex screamed. Pulling furiously at the door handle to their room.

"Alex, you've been trying to open that door for like 10 minutes, it was funny at first but I really want to take a shower and go to bed already." Greg said.

"It's this stupid scroll key thing, it doesn't work for some reason." Alex replied.

"Let me see it." Nick said while snatching the scroll out of Alex's hand.

"Oh, please like you can open-" He was interrupted by a flashing green light followed by a click and Nick opening the door with a smug grin on his face.

"Oh, go get killed."

"I already did." Nick replied causing everyone, even Alex to laugh. Not surprisingly, the four Russians are already making jokes about their untimely demise. One thing about military personnel is that they deal with so much bullshit and fucked up situations daily, that the only thing they can do is just laugh and go with it.

"Well I know when I'm beat, so go ahead and have first dibs at the shower." Alex said to Nick as the four entered the room. It was your typical four-man room: four beds, four nightstands, four desks, a book shelf in the center with smaller shelves on all the walls, two large closets and a bathroom. The room even came complete with extra linen, toiletries and what look like spare athletic clothes for sleeping.

"Thank God, I thought we were going to have to sleep in our sweaty ass uniforms." Nick commented while removing his gear. With his weapons, vest, and helmet set down next to one of the beds, he grabbed the towel and hygiene bag sitting on the bed and made his way to the bathroom. In the meantime, the rest of the squad would relax and wait for their turn in the shower.

"It was really nice of Professor Ozpin to let us sleep here for the night." Ivan said while lying on the bed he claimed for himself.

"He's seems a little too trusting don't you think? I mean we basically explained our situation, which in my opinion sounds like the plot to a bad story and he just takes it as is and gives us room and board without payment? I feel like there's some ulterior motive." Greg said, voicing his skepticism while removing his boots.

"Well I'm guessing that since we kind of saved the survivors of a doomed town, he's giving us the benefit of the doubt. He strikes me as an intelligent and logical man, who could've had us thrown in jail or an asylum but decided to hear us out. Now he didn't say he completely believed us, which is probably why he wants us to meet him tomorrow morning to discuss the content on the helmet cameras and where to go from here." Alex reasoned to Greg and Ivan, who both nodded in agreement to his thoughts.

"Yeah I guess that makes sense. I guess we'll just have to wait until morning." Greg responded, putting his concerns to rest for the moment. Right now, everyone just wanted to shower and get some sleep.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" Ivan asked.

"What's up?" Alex responded.

"Did either of you learn any English while in Russia?" Both Alex and Greg took a moment to think before answering Ivan

"I learned some basic words and phrases. You know, enough to get by" Alex responded.

"I can hold a conversation in English, if that's what you're asking." Greg answered.

"Well I never learned any English and I doubt Nick knows any. But did you guys notice that we've been speaking perfect English as well as understanding and reading it. I bet we can also write in English as well." Ivan said to his comrades. Both Alex and Greg looked at each other before realizing that Ivan noticed something before either of them did.

"Damn, with all that went on today, I didn't even notice that." Alex calmly stated.

"That was a good observation Ivan. Now the question is can we still speak Russian?" Greg asked.

"Надеюсь, мы все еще будем говорить по-русски ( _I sure hope we can still speak Russian_ _)_." Alex spoke fluently.

"Well that's answers that question." Ivan said.

"Alex, do you have any insight or an explanation to that?" Greg asked. Alex thought for a moment before saying anything.

"After everything that has happen up to this point, I'm not going to dwell on this. If anything, we just became bilingual with minimal effort and I'm not going to question it." He responded.

"That works for me. I guess we don't need to bring this up ever again." Greg stated.

"Should we tell Nick?" Ivan asked.

"Ah, he's not going to notice and even if he did I doubt he'd question it." Alex responded. The bathroom door swung open and out walked Nick wearing the sleepwear heading towards his bed.

"Man, that felt good. You're up big guy." Nick motioned to Ivan who was already walking towards the bathroom. It was another 15 minutes before everyone had a turn in the shower and another 20 before they fell asleep. The room was nice and quiet with only the sound being the occasional snore from the exhausted Russians. They earned this peaceful rest before their second meeting with Ozpin.

 **Ozpins office**

"That poor boy, he's going to feel that in the morning." Ozpin said with amusement.

"Considering he threw up on her and ruined her nice dress, I can't say he didn't have it coming." Glynda spoke in her usual stern voice. The two were just finishing up watching all the footage on the helmet cams. What was captured on camera was a variety of footage that was mostly training exercises such as long-distance hikes, CQB and unarmed training, utilizing several weapons on a firing range and riding around on vehicles. The most interesting thing they saw was the footage of them jumping out of planes at varying altitudes. True, they themselves launched students into the Emerald forest for initiation, but that was a one-time deal and the students had their aura and semblances to help them land. These men on the other hand jumped at very high altitudes a number of times with only a parachute to help them land and as far as either of them could tell, it didn't look like any of them had an aura or a semblance.

"What do you think Glynda?" Ozpin asked.

"Under normal circumstances I would have considered Mr. Volkov's story utter nonsense, however he has video proof to back up his claim and I sincerely doubt any of those men are competent in video editing." She replied.

"So, they really are from another world. I have seen more than my fair share of odd occurrences, but this situation certainly is strange. Of course, it's only sixth on my list of strange situations." Ozpin calmly stated while taking another sip from his mug.

"Still, what are we going to do about them? Even though I'm sure they have no ill intentions, they're still dangerous and based on what we've just watched they have killed other humans." Glynda spoke with mild concern. Most of the footage was just training and a few moments of the guys relaxing and having fun, but there was also combat footage on there that got their attention, particularly the footage that shown their supposed "deaths" that led them to Remnant.

"Yes, they have killed, but what we were shown is that their enemies were anything but innocent. In fact, those terrorists used similar tactics as the White Fang and Alex and his friends are no doubt trained to combat those insurgents." Ozpin explained.

"It's a shame that a world without Grimm exists, yet the inhabitants are waging war against each other." Glynda sounded disappointed more than anything.

"Yes, most unfortunate, but we can finish this discussion at tomorrow's meeting. After all it is getting late." Glynda simply nodded then dismissed herself leaving Ozpin alone with his thoughts. He had an idea forming in his mind that would be discussed the next time he met with the Russians.

 **Beacon cafeteria 0710**

Another day has come and the cafeteria was filled with half-awake students eating breakfast in preparation for another day of classes and training. Most of the classes began at 9, so breakfast was served from 7 to 9, which is what the Russians decided to do before their follow up with Ozpin. Currently they were sitting off to the side, wearing only their basic uniform. They figured they didn't need to be geared up for breakfast with the exception of their pistols that they kept holstered to the side.

"Blech! That's the worst thing I've ever eaten!" Nick exclaimed while he exaggerated the motion of scraping his tongue off.

"Really? Cereal is the worst thing you ever had?" Greg said in a mocking tone.

"Okay not really, but this Pumpkin Pete cereal is crap." Nick then proceeded to take a swig of his coffee, gargled it, then spit on the cafeteria floor.

"Did you just seriously spit on the floor?!" Alex asked.

"Yes, it's that bad. You can taste it if you don't believe me." Nick said defending his actions. Alex just rolled his eyes, but decided to humor him with a spoon full. As soon as the cereal entered his mouth, he immediately had instant regret and had to use all his strength to swallow.

"God damn, it tastes like cardboard with sugar on it." Alex said while copying Nicks action of gargling with coffee, minus the part where he spat on the floor. While the guys laughed among themselves, they failed to notice two familiar females approaching their table.

"Well, it seems you guys really are handsome without those masks on." Coco said in playful tone. She went on ahead to set here tray down and take a seat next to Alex, while Velvet sat across from her and next to Ivan.

"We almost didn't recognize you guys without all the gear and the masks on. Luckily Coco remembered your weird forest clothes." Velvet chimed in.

"Coco, Velvet nice to see you two. Where's those other two guys?" Greg asked.

"Fox and Yastsu normally sleep in through breakfast. We usually just meet them in class." Velvet answered.

"Yeah, those lazy bums say they would rather sleep than eat, but then they end up complaining about how hungry they are during class." Coco added.

"I'd be lying if I said I've never done that before." Ivan commented.

"Anyway, how are you ladies doing today?" Alex asked just to make conversations while he and the rest tried not to notice that Coco and Velvet's school uniforms fit them a little too well.

"Oh, we're doing fine. Just another day full of classes and what not." Coco answered.

"What did Ozpin want to talk to you guys about yesterday?" Velvet asked Alex who was ready to answer.

"Not much really, just our names, a detailed account on what went down in Oxford and a thank you." He calmly answered. Nothing wrong with telling half-truths.

"Well don't you guys have a home to go to." Velvet asked unaware that the Russians had an uneasy feeling growing inside them. Coco and Velvet both noticed the slight hesitation until Alex broke the silence.

"We don't have a home anymore I'm afraid. We were trying to make our way North to another town or city, when we stumbled into Oxford and well, you guys know the rest." Alex didn't exactly lie, but he didn't tell the whole truth. Both Velvet and Coco were shocked at his answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry for asking." Velvet sadly replied. Her sad tone tugged at the Russians heartstrings and the way her ears drooped could break the hardest heart.

"It's alright you didn't know. But I would prefer if we didn't talk about our home." Alex replied with a reassuring smile. He managed to get Velvet to perk up and avoid talking about where they're from. A win-win for his conversational skills.

"On the bright side, Ozpin let us crash here for the night and we're meeting him later to talk about other stuff. Hopefully he can help us find a place to stay in the city." Greg added to reassure Coco and Velvet.

"Well even though we've only known you guys for less than a day, you'll always have a home in Beacon and Vale." Coco said while giving Alex a friendly pat on the back.

"Thanks Coco". Alex replied with a genuine smile.

"Alright enough of this mushy-feelings crap. Let's talk about the kickass party we're going to throw at our new place!" Nick exclaimed, changing the mood of the table.

"Nick, every party we threw or got invited too ends up with us getting drunk off our asses and waking up with bad hangovers and in some cases, waking up halfway across town." Greg explained while Coco and Velvet both had amused looks on their faces.

"Sounds like we need to hang out with you guys more often." Coco said.

"Well in any case you two ladies are invited, as well as any friends you know." Nick responded.

"Hey what about us, can we party too?" A new voice spoke from behind. The group looked up to see a some-what familiar blonde bombshell followed by 7 other people. Alex quickly scanned the crowed and recognized the four girls from yesterday. It seems they had brought friends.

"I don't know, is your sister going to try and steal my gun again?" Alex sarcastically asked while looking directly into Ruby's eyes. She quickly faltered under his stern gaze and hung her head low in shame. For the life of him, he just couldn't stay mad at the poor girl.

"I'm sorry, I... I just wanted to look at it." She spoke so softly and mousy he could barely hear her. First Velvet, now Ruby? He liked to think he had a hard heart, but it was starting to falter. She finally looked up and used her ace in the hole: The infamous puppy dog face. Alex couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his fist on the table, then pulled out his pistol while unloading the magazine and making sure it was clear before he handed it off.

"God damnit here! Just stop making that face… please." Alex handed Ruby his pistol, who's mood did a complete 180 and suddenly lit up. She looked it over with awe, taking in the details and admiring the craftsmanship. Everyone else at the table had light smiles on their faces. _"How the hell did she do that?!"_

"Aww Alex, you act so tough but you're just a big softie, aren't you?" Coco teased while being genuinely impressed. Nick decided to join in on the teasing.

"That's right Coco, underneath that cold and calculating exterior, is a warm fuzzy teddy bear. He's single by the way." Nick felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as Alex's fist made contact. It was worth it in Nick's opinion.

"Anyway, why don't guys take a seat." Alex addressed to Yang and the rest, who took seats around the group. Ruby and Weiss sat next to Coco with Blake and Yang sitting across from them next to Velvet. JNPR sat on the other side of the Russians with Jaune and Pyrrha sitting next to Nick and Ren and Nora across from them next to Greg.

"Alex, right? Thanks for being so considerate towards my sister." Yang said.

"It's fine miss…?"

"Xiao Long. Yang Xiao Long. You can just call me Yang though." She him gave a flirtatious wink the same way Coco did yesterday. And like yesterday, all he did was cock an eyebrow at her.

"Right, well I'm Alex. Next to me is Nick."

"What's up?" Nick greeted in his usual tone.

"And across from me is Ivan and next to him is Greg." Alex said finishing introducing the squad.

"Good day." Greg spoke formally.

"Hello." Ivan said with a friendly wave.

"You guys are some of the new first year teams, right?" Velvet asked to which everyone nodded yes to.

"In that case, I'm Coco and this is Velvet, we're second years and part of Team CFVY. Coco addressed the crowd.

"Well, you've obviously met my sister Ruby." Yang pointed to Ruby who was still inspecting Alex's pistol.

"This is my partner Blake." Blake merely nodded but kept studying the four Russians, mostly out of curiosity.

"And this is Ice Queen." She said with a smirk.

"Hey!"

"Fine, and that's Weiss. We make up Team RWBY led by my sister." Yang said proudly.

"Your team is named after your sister? Talk about a coincidence." Greg commented.

"I guess it is. Anyways, over there is Team JNPR. We're good friends them. There's vomit boy sitting next to Pyrrha." Yang said.

"Vomit boy?" Alex asked as he looked to Jaune, who awkwardly chuckled while scratching the back of his head.

"Uh, it's actually Jaune. That's just my nickname… apparently." He answered.

"Gee, I wonder how you got stuck with that nickname?" Alex sarcastically asked.

"Let's just say he owes me a new pair of shoes." Yang answered, while glaring at Jaune.

"Was he drunk?" Nick asked.

"No, I get airsick easily. It's more common than you think!" Jaune tried to defend himself but judgement was already passed on to him.

 _"No way he'd make it in the VDV if he gets airsick that easily."_ The Russians collectively thought.

"And finally, that's Ren and Nora." Yang finished. Ren nodded a greeting to them, while Nora appeared to literally be buried in pancakes.

"How the hell can she get like 50 pancakes, but I couldn't get an extra scoop of eggs?" Nick asked the remaining members of JNPR but all they did was shrug at him.

"None of us really know, and it's probably for the best we don't find out. After all, they'll keep Nora content for the next half hour at least." Ren calmly explained while Nora was slamming down pancakes like nothing. Meanwhile Greg was looking back and forth at Pyrrha and the small Pumpkin Pete's cereal box on Nicks tray before he put two and two together.

"Pyrrha right? Is that you on the cereal box?" Greg asked the Greek themed girl.

"Yes, that is me." She replied with a smile. Probably the sweetest any of them have ever seen.

"How did you get on the box?" Ivan asked.

"When I won my fourth Regional tournament, that's when I got signed on as a mascot. It's normally reserved for cartoon characters or star athletes. But the cereal is not something you should be eating if you're an athlete." She explained.

"No kidding, it smells okay but tasted like stale cardboard coated in enough sugar to give you diabetes." Alex responded. It was then Nora looked up to add the conversation.

"So, you're saying it tastes worse than it smells?" Nora had no idea she set Nick up for the perfect comeback.

"Ah man, if I can count the number of times I've had that problem with women." You could literally feel the sudden change in mood at the table. Ivan and Greg were both laughing while Alex facepalmed, but was still laughing.

 _"God dammit, that's not something you say in front girls, especially EIGHT girls! Still, he saw an opportunity and thank God he took it."_ Alex thought to himself. He glanced quickly around the table to see everyone's reaction. What he saw was appropriate based on his first impressions of everyone: Yang and Coco were caught off guard but soon broke into laughter with the Russians, Pyrrha and Velvet were both beet red in the face, the guys had slight tinges of red and tried not to make eye contact with their female counterparts, though Jaune had a weak smile forming, Weiss had a look of absolute disgust on her face, Blake didn't really react much but was still surprised and Ruby and Nora didn't react at all due to Ruby not understanding and Nora for being… well Nora.

"That's messed up, but your timing was perfect!" Yang said finally catching her breath.

"I don't get it." Ruby said.

"I'll tell you when you're older sis." Yang responded.

"So, I'm never going to find out?" Ruby asked, to which Yang responded with a head nod. Everyone else got over the initial shock and started to calm down, well except for a certain prim and proper heiress whose fists were clenched, teeth were gritting and a large forehead vein was visible.

"Ugh, you… you…" Weiss couldn't even form a complete sentence, but boy did she want to chew Nick's ass out. Nick just kept smiling at her struggle.

"It's okay to use your words Snow White, people might think you're retarded if you can't speak clearly."

 _"And he wonders why he gets his ass kicked all the time."_ Alex thought.

"You, disgusting filthy pervert! How dare you talk to me like that? And do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!" She was practically fuming and yet Nick looked completely unfazed with that smirk on his face.

"First off: my mother's dead, may she rest in peace and second it's not really a dare if I already did it." He said matter of factly. Weiss suddenly felt torn. On one hand she wanted to smack that stupid grin off his face, on the other she felt bad for bringing up his mother. For now, she thought the best course of action was to keep her mouth shut.

"Sorry about your mom Nick" Ruby spoke full of sadness.

"Hey, I've had years to get over it. Besides let's not spoil the morning. Oh, I know, how about a joke? He turned to look at Jaune. Hey Jaune!"

"Yeah?" Jaune asked

"Sex!"

"I don't get it." The blonde knight walked right into Nick's web.

"I know you don't!" Nick exclaimed. It took Jaune a minute to understand and his already fractured confidence just took another hit. This time everyone laughed, even Weiss seeing as how Arc was the butt of the joke. Pyrrha lightly chuckled but laid a comforting hand on her partners shoulder when she saw him hang his head low in embarrassment. Alex checked the time and noticed they had to meet Ozpin soon. As much as he enjoyed talking to his new "friends", it was time for business. After a quick smoke break obviously.

"Well it was nice meeting you all, but me and the guys have a meeting to attend to shortly. I'll need my pistol back." He indicated to Ruby who reluctantly handed back to him.

"It's an interesting weapon: It's simple, but seems very effective. I noticed the rest of your friends have one like it also. Which reminds me, can I see the rest of your guy's weapons?" She practically had stars in her eyes when she asked. Alex just smiled at her.

"Maybe later, right now we're going to smoke before our meeting. Anyone care to join us?" He half joked, half genuinely asked out of curiosity. Everyone just gave him disappointing glances. Damn kids.

"Why do you guys smoke, isn't it bad for you?" Velvet asked. All of them just shrugged.

"Sugars and fatty foods are bad for you, but you still eat them, right?" Greg argued with logic.

"Besides, all the cool kids do it." Nick joked but got nothing but even more disappointing looks.

"Well before you guys leave, I wanted to ask how did you know I was trying to grab your gun yesterday? I mean you grabbed my wrist without looking back. Do you have a sixth sense or something?" Ruby asked Alex.

"No, I just saw your reflection in the napkin holder." He answered. Ruby was surprised and disappointed at the same time. Surprised that it was something so simple and disappointed that it wasn't anything cool.

"Take it easy guys, we'll probably see each other later." Alex said while he and the rest of the squad grabbed their trays and made for the exit while RWBY, JNPR and CV watched them leave.

"I knew they were just a bunch of ruffians and degenerates." Weiss spoke up.

"Speak for yourself ice queen, I think we need to hang out with them." Yang countered. Everyone else seemed to agree with Yang to some extent.

"Coco, how do you know those guys anyways?" Blake asked, speaking for the first time since they sat down. She kept her mouth shut not because she didn't trust them, but because she wanted to observe who these men were.

"What, you guys don't know? Those are the guys that saved the survivors of Oxford yesterday. They held off the attacking Grimm until we arrived even though the fight was over by the time we got there." She answered and suddenly had everyone's attention.

"There the one's that all the news stations and sites are talking about?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, our mission yesterday was to provide protection for the evacuation crews. We thought we may have been too late, but there they were, on the rooftop waving us down with many Faunus survivors." Velvet explained.

"I never would've guess that they were those guys. They act so… immature." Ren spoke his mind.

"Not if you saw them yesterday." Coco said.

"I'll be honest when I first saw them, they actually scared me. They were wearing all this gear and had weapons that to be honest, looked more suited to use on other people than on Grimm. But the most intimating thing about them was that they kept the lower half of their faces covered by a wool mask they wore under their helmets. Alex even said that the masks do provide an intimidation factor and since Grimm don't get intimidated, he was no doubt talking about people." Velvet finished explaining her first meeting with them while RWBY and JNPR had concerned looks on their faces.

"But, when I spoke to Alex he was very polite and professional. Actually, all of them were… even Nick. And not just talking, but their actions as well. They were very alert and on guard the whole time even though the Grimm were routed. I watched Nick keep a lookout while Ivan and Greg directed the bullheads where to land and helping bring the injured-on board. And there was Alex, directing them on what to do. He spoke with such power and authority, I was about to tell my team to do what he says. Alex is their leader and the rest no doubt, respect his authority but he is also willing to get his hands dirty with his team. They obviously work well with each other and have built a strong bond amongst themselves." Coco finished her description of the Russians, while the rest of the table reflected on what she said.

"Wow." Was all Ruby could say. From her perspective, Alex sounded like, no… WAS a better leader than herself and she feared she couldn't amount. But also in her mind, he seemed like a nice guy who might help her become a better leader.

"And here I thought they were just a bunch of idiotic goofballs." Yang said with a smile.

"I can't believe we just ate breakfast with famous people!" Nora shouted with glee.

"Do you know anything else about what they did in Oxford?" Pyrrha asked.

"Mostly rumors, but I think they might have been true." Coco answered.

"Like what?" Weiss asked.

"Well, we heard they saved a Faunus child from being killed by an Ursa and helped reunite her with her mother. Then we heard that they had a radio on them that they used to call for help and administered first aid to the wounded while they waited, even if they burned through all their medical supplies. The last one I'm not too sure about but supposedly, one them choked out an SDC employee for being unhelpful and making off handed remarks towards the surviving Faunus. If it's true, then my lien is on Alex choking the guy." Velvet said with a smile. She really hoped that last rumor was true.

"Again, those guys? The one's who make crude sexual jokes and act like children?" Weiss asked in utter disbelief to which Coco and Velvet simply nodded.

Blake on the other hand, was smiling at what Coco and Velvet said about Alex and his friends. She really hoped all the rumors about what Happened at Oxford were true. Humans helping Faunus, not caring about appearance and even standing up to an SDC employee? The rumors just had to be true. Her faith in peaceful Human-Faunus relations was slipping every day with no sign of any improvement. Blake knew she had to ask Alex later in private. There just had to be a silver lining somewhere.

 **A/N: Like I said there is more to come but I am at a crossroad on where to progress. I can either follow the canon storyline or just go with an AU where Beacon and all the sad stuff doesn't happen. It'll probably come to me while I'm doing calculus homework. Again thank you for the support and don't be afraid to call me out on stuff.**

 **On a side note I do have another story idea rattling around in my head. You know those stories where the Continental U.S. is brought to Remnant and the Kingdoms interact with the Americans? What about that, but instead an alternate history Continental Europe where Nazi Germany was victorious in WWII. A modernized Greater German Reich brought to Remnant? Atlas military vs the Wehrmacht? How will the kingdoms react to a nation with no qualms about war and racial purity?** **Again it's just an idea floating around in my head.**

 **Until then, Hawk out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**What's this? Another chapter so soon? Well school starts right after New Year's for me, so I figured I should get this out there before I'm bogged down in work. After much debate, I've determined it makes more sense if I write this as an AU without the Fall of Beacon and the sad stuff. Think about it, what the hell are four regular guys going to do differently to stop Beacon's fall? Arrest Cinder and her crew before they even infiltrate? Somehow train and reform the Atlas military to be like a modern military on Earth? Plus the series is still ongoing, which in my opinion makes it hard to write about past volume 3. And if anyone says I can do it, just remember, you've read my story up to this point. I am not that great of a writer. Anyway Happy New Year, you guys are awesome.**

Chapter 7: I think we have a plot

 **Ozpin's office 0805**

"Holy shit! That's what Aura does?! That's fucking sick!" Nick couldn't contain his amazement at the videos they were watching.

"You might want to be cautious around girls from now on Nick. You say one wrong word and you're probably going to die." Greg said with a smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm a perfect gentleman." Nick retorted.

"You're lucky Weiss didn't freeze you with that sword of hers at breakfast. But all jokes aside, we are at a serious disadvantage here because everyone has protective shields, super powers and sword guns that shoot elemental bullets that can fuck us up 8 ways to Thursday. So, all of us need to be cautious, not just Nick." Alex reasoned to the squad. Both Ozpin and Glynda listen to Alex approvingly.

"I can see why you're the leader of your group Mr. Volkov, always assessing your situation and planning accordingly." He spoke to the squad leader who just shrugged.

"It's one of the many duties and responsibilities of being a squad leader." Alex responded nonchalantly.

"Don't let him play it down sir, he's the best squad leader I've ever served under." Ivan said.

"Alex has always managed to keep us alive." Nick thought for a moment. "Even when we _died_ , we're still alive." He said in a serious tone.

"I'm glad when it came down to it, he was selected over myself for squad leader. I'm not sure if I would be able to make some of the decisions he has. I'll follow his lead until the end of time, until then I'm happy to be his second in command." Greg said. Alex felt his pride growing. He was glad his squad mates thought so highly of him. Besides, after all they've been through together, he considers them family. A very dysfunctional one, but he wouldn't have it any other way. And now that they're stuck on Remnant cut off from their friends and families in Russia, each other is all they have.

"You guys know we're not technically in the military anymore, which means I can't write you guys up for awards or recommendations for promotion right? So, kissing my ass is not going to do anything for you guys." He joked to his team who all shared a laugh. Even Ozpin chuckled at what Alex said while Glynda looked indifferent.

"It seems all of you have a strong level of trust and respect towards each other. Not even some of the fourth-year teams have a strong sense of camaraderie with each other." Glynda spoke.

"When you're stuck with the same group of people for a few years, it's usually a good idea to befriend them. At least I think so." Greg responded.

"I can agree with that logic Mr. Fedorov." Ozpin said.

"Headmaster Ozpin, we appreciate your hospitality and for hearing us out and not throwing us in jail. We also appreciated you explaining how some things on Remnant work like dust, aura, semblance, Faunus and Grimm, but I think we still need to address the main issue: What are we going to do now?" Alex asked.

"We have nothing here but the clothes on our backs and all the stuff we had with us. We have no home, no money, no connections, no identification." Greg added to what Alex said.

"And besides what you've told us, we know next to nothing about this world." Ivan said.

"I understand your concerns, which is why I've come up with a possible course of action." Ozpin said to the group.

"What do you have mind?" Alex asked.

"Before I answer that, I want your opinions."

"On what?" Greg asked.

"The footage you saw of the new first year teams. What did you take away from their initiation and Glynda's combat class?" Ozpin asked. In the Russian's view, they thought it was pretty badass. Between Ruby decapitating a Nevermore and the students fighting against each other, they knew they were outclassed in almost every aspect.

"You mean besides the fact that they have a hundred different ways to kill us?" Nick asked while Ozpin nodded.

"Well that's thing, they're not going kill us or any person for that matter. It's easy to kill the Grimm because they're, as you said, soulless, relentless beasts that only have one major instinct. They can kill the Grimm no problem, but when they fight each other, that killer instinct is nonexistent." Alex answered. Ozpin knew he would've noticed.

"During their spars, I've noticed that the fights are very, for lack of words, "clean". And while I understand it's practice and in good sport, it's very controlled. Somebody who wants you dead is not going to stop when your Aura is down." Greg answered next.

"Fighting animals is one thing, but other people is a completely different game. You have no idea what they're thinking. We're intelligent, irrational, resourceful and unpredictable. There's too many factors to consider." Alex added.

"I noticed they like to charge their opponent's head on. I may not be the best when it comes to strategy, but I do know that charging in head first is usually a good way to get yourself or others killed." Ivan said.

"To go off what Ivan said, I think they rely on their Auras too much. Which is probably why they do it because it protects them from the immediate threat in front of them. But what about threats behind them or what's beyond initial contact?" Alex explained while Ozpin and Glynda were listening very carefully to what they were explaining.

"And speaking of relying on Aura, they also seem to use it a lot to for their lack of strength, speed and endurance, which is fine but it looks they tire quicker. I would think their bodies would be conditioned not to rely on Aura all the time but I guess not. Seriously, a short run and they look like they're about to pass out." Nick said.

"Those are some very interesting observations." Ozpin stated.

"We weren't trying to criticize what the school teaches, these were just observations. Remember, we are adept at fighting and killing people who want to harm others." Alex said referring to their combat footage.

"And that's something we don't train our students on. Our world is changing gentlemen. The Grimm will always be out there, but we have the means to keep them at bay. However, it seems we have a new enemy on our front." Ozpin explained

"What do you mean?" Greg asked.

"The White Fang. They started off with noble goals of Faunus equality, but now it seems they've taken a more violent approach to reach their goals. Last year, over a thousand people throughout the kingdoms were killed from their attacks." Glynda explained to them.

"Seems some things never change." Nick deadpanned.

"Can't the police or military deal with them?" Alex asked.

"It's more complicated than that I'm afraid. The White Fang is a relatively new threat to the Kingdoms and local police forces are not equipped or trained to deal with attacks on such large scales. As for military, the Kingdom of Atlas has the only standing army in the world, but even they're having problems dealing with them." Ozpin answered.

"I'm guessing the White Fang knows they won't last in a direct fight against Atlas, so they focus on random attacks against civilians to cause panic and confusion. By the time the police and military respond, the attack has already taken place and all they can do is damage control and clean up the mess, right? Alex asked even though he already knew the answer.

"You are correct on all marks. As of now, all we've been able to do is respond to an attack and clean up, but that's not the worst of it. The Grimm are drawn to negative emotions."

"And the widespread fear and panic caused by an attack draws the Grimm in like a moth to a flame. A lose-lose situation." Greg finished what Ozpin was going to say while he once again nodded.

"So why haven't the Kingdoms made this a top priority? I feel like there shouldn't be such a delay." Alex asked.

"Politics." Ozpin said with an unamused smile.

"Ah good old politics, getting in the way of getting anything done. Makes me feel homesick actually." Everyone lightly chuckled at Nick's satire, even Glynda had a smile forming as she was reminded of a certain Atlesian general.

"No explanation needed professor, we know exactly what you mean." Greg said.

"What does all of this have to do with us?" Alex asked.

"Beacon Academy is home to future Huntsmen and Huntresses, who train to be the protectors of mankind. That protection is not just against the Grimm, but from their fellow man. We haven't had any reason to train against anything other than the Grimm, but like I said, the world is changing. I want my students to be prepared for anything, which is why I'm prepared to offer you four staff positions here at Beacon." Needless to say, the guys were surprised by what he just said.

"I think I can speak for everyone here when I say none of us has any teaching experience. Or references now that I think about it." Nick was the first to speak.

"You do have experience on what I'm hoping you can educate the students on." Ozpin pointed out.

"But why us specifically? I get that we have experience in counter-terrorism but surely you can find someone else?" Greg asked while Ozpin shook his head.

"I'm afraid we don't. This style of warfare is not something anyone on Remnant has ever dealt with. Not even during the Great War, were these terror tactics used. Which is why I'm hoping you'll consider my offer."

"And what if we refuse?" Ivan asked.

"I won't force you into this position. If you decide to leave I will still help you get settled in Vale, with ID's and funds to help you get started in your new lives, but I want you think about what I'm offering. Glynda and I watched the footage of your world. Do you really want what's happening there, to happen here? Like it or not, you four are now part of this world and you can make a difference and save many lives." Ozpin was playing hardball now. He looked over to Alex wondering when he would speak. Currently he looked like he was in deep thought.

"What exactly will we be teaching?" Greg asked.

"What you know and what you observed about the students. I'm hoping you can teach them about how to be aware of suspected attacks and how to respond accordingly as well as teach them about making tough calls and strengthen their team bonds. And I suppose some old fashion physical conditioning wouldn't hurt them." Ozpin smiled at that last statement.

"Shouldn't we be teaching this stuff to the police?" Surprisingly, Nick asked.

"In hind sight, yes. But remember, only the people in this room really know the truth about you four. How will it look if suddenly four highly trained individuals show up out of nowhere and offer to train the police? We must slowly establish yourselves into the system, lest we draw suspicion. And what better way to establish yourselves than as school instructors? Once word gets out that students are learning how to handle these situations, then the police will be more willingly to seek assistance." Everyone nodded at Ozpin's logic. Alex decided now would be the time to speak.

"You said you'll help us get settled here in Vale. What else does that entail besides money, ID's and directions to the city?" Alex asked. Ozpin found this question to be odd.

"Chief Redford of the Vale PD owes me a rather large favor. Let's just say we came up with a cover story for you four, saying you were a new, experimental, special operations unit within the police force. And let's just say that it was a highly classified project that no one, not even you were allowed to speak of, which helps back up your reluctance to disclose information and why no records exist of your past. It also helps that only Chief Redford and a select few officers know about you to help justify the secrecy. We can leave the events of Oxford as is, saying you were in the wrong place at the right time. How does that sound?" Ozpin asked

"Not a bad cover, but do you have that kind of pull? Won't the government get involved somehow?" Alex asked.

"While the council does have authority over myself and the police in most aspects, for safety and security, we have absolute control and final say. So, no, the council won't interfere or even be aware of your existence. You can let me deal with the politics." Ozpin replied.

"And all the news channels and sites talking about us?"

"Good Samaritans lending a helping hand. You are after all, still "classified" from the public eye." He said with a grin. Alex had to admit, Ozpin seems to have done his homework. And besides, what would they have done if they didn't take the job? Yeah, they'd have some money but they would need jobs to make a living. They had no major contacts or marketable skills let alone any idea how things worked in Vale. He made his decision and a quick look at everyone else shows that they made their choice.

"Alright Headmaster, you've got yourself a deal." He and Ozpin reached out to seal the deal with a firm confident handshake. Ozpin secretly sighed a breath of relief that they accepted the offer, while Glynda had an approving look on her face.

"Wonderful, now let's discuss the details." Ozpin calmly stated.

 **Upper dormitory wing 1232, a few days later**

After much discussion and paperwork, Alex, Greg, Nick and Ivan were officially registered staff at Beacon, as well as official citizens of Vale although it took a few days for their official ID's to be ready. Being registered staff allowed them permanent residence at Beacon in a faculty dorm room. They could've got an apartment in the city but they didn't want to commute back and forth every day and Ozpin still wanted them close by and out of the general populace. Unlike student dorms, faculty dorms had separate bedrooms and a common area that included a living room, kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and an outdoor balcony that overlooks the Emerald Forest. In addition, they had access to all school facilities and locations with administrative privileges. The best part was free rent, utilities, 24-hour access to medical and dental and free Wi-Fi on top of a paycheck. It sure beat what they got paid in the military.

It was fortunate that Ozpin and Chief Redford were able to input them into the system quietly without any trouble. After all, doing shady shit is so much easier without other people knowing about it. Ozpin of course, had to let Qrow and General Ironwood know about the Russians. They were after all, part of his inner circle and felt it was a good idea to keep them in the loop. He knew Ironwood would definitely want to speak with them in the future. In the meantime, since the semester was almost over, he felt it was best to hold off on their class until next semester. This allows the Russians plenty of time to settle in, set up a course curriculum from scratch and time to learn more about Remnant. He arranged for Glynda and the other professors to give private crash courses on everything from dust and Grimm to general laws, culture, customs and courtesies throughout all of Remnant. They were short and fast paced, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"Oh, I get it. C-F-V-Y. Coco, Fox, Velvet, Yatsuhashi. Their initials make up the team name and it's a literal pronunciation of the letters that make the word. In this case, coffee. Ha, that's clever." Greg remarked while looking through his new scroll. As teachers, they had basic access to student records at their disposal. Of course, Professor Goodwitch made sure to inform them it was only used for information and not to gawk at the female students. Although she addressed all of them, she was glaring hard at Nick the whole time for some reason.

"Can we make a cool team name out of our initials?" Ivan asked Greg. He was currently sitting at the kitchen table going over an information packet on basic Dust properties, courtesy of Professor Peach.

"Maybe, I'll see if I can come up with something later." He replied. There was a sudden knock at their door, which Nick was already up to go answer.

"For God's sake Alex, what is it with you and doors here?" He jokingly yelled out. However instead of Alex, it was a man in a delivery uniform with a large fridge behind him.

"Hello, delivery for Mr. Stepanov." The man said.

"Ah, yes that's me." Nick responded while sighing the clipboard. The man looked over the clipboard with a satisfied nod before wheeling the fridge into their room.

"Alright everything's in order and your payment has been processed. Enjoy your new fridge, have a great day and thank you for shopping with Rubicon." The man said with a smile as he left the room.

"Rubicon?" Ivan asked as got up to help Nick.

"Yeah, it's like Amazon back home. Actually, it's exactly the same as Amazon." Nick replied while moving the fridge towards the kitchen.

"Why the hell do we need a second fridge?" Greg asked while looking over the fridge.

"Beer fridge, duh." Nick answered. Both Ivan and Greg looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

"Good call man." Greg said.

"Does Alex know about this?" Ivan asked as he reached to plug in the fridge.

"Know about it? He's the one who told me to get it." He answered. "Speaking of Alex, where did he say was going?"

"I think he went to talk to Ozpin about getting more ammo for us, seeing as how we were running dry." Greg answered.

"I was wondering what we were going to do about the supply issue." Ivan said.

"Well when he gets back, we need to plan a trip to the city soon. I'm sick of wearing the same clothes and having to wash my only pair of socks and underwear every day." Nick commented.

"Hey, we needed an ID for the airship and they weren't ready yet. Now that we have them, we can probably go tomorrow." Greg responded as he checked to make sure the fridge was working.

"Tomorrow's Saturday so we should be good." Ivan said.

 **Beacon hallways**

Alex was walking down the hall after his talk with Ozpin. He told him that he would do what he could to help replenish their ammo and supplies. However, nothing they had used Dust, which would be problematic. None the less, he asked Alex if it was alright if he had Professor Peach and some of the weapon smiths look over their ammo, gear and weapons for study and to hopefully solve their supply problem. Alex was hesitant at first, but decided it was probably for the best.

Still in his basic uniform, he observed and took in his surroundings. He'll admit, the atmosphere of Beacon was peaceful and calming. Some of the students he passed gave him curious glances, but minded their business for the most part. Those that glanced a little longer, he just gave a friendly head nod in greeting. As he turned the corner he heard what sounded like a girl screaming in pain and laughing that followed. Looking ahead he saw four boys in armor and sporting very bad haircuts surrounding someone. He looked closer and saw their target: a very familiar girl with rabbit ears.

" _Velvet? This better not be what I think it is."_ He thought to himself.

"Hey there freak! We missed you yesterday and now we got to make up the lost time." Cardin taunted the Faunus girl with an iron grip on her ears while the rest of his team just laughed.

"Please stop Cardin." Velvet pleaded but it only caused him to pull harder and laugh more. Alex debated whether he should intervene or not, but a sad whimper from Velvet was all he needed.

" _Okay motherfucker, you asked for it."_

"What's that? Pull harder? You got it." Cardin taunted towards Velvet, unaware that someone was approaching from behind.

"Hey shit for brains! How about you pick on someone your own size!" All members of CRDL turned around to see who said that and were suddenly met face to face with an average sized guy in camouflage with his arm crossed and a very serious demeanor. Velvet looked up and was surprised to see Alex sizing up CRDL. The rest of the members felt a little uneasy by Alex's presence. Something about his posture and body language made them feel like he's someone they shouldn't fuck with. Cardin only sneered at him.

"Buzz off loser, we're busy."

"Really, picking on a girl? I think you guys would have a better time jerking each other off." Alex taunted.

"What did you just say?" You see the anger welling up in Cardin.

"You fucking heard me. You guys are pussies and she probably has more balls than all of you combined." Cardin released his grip on Velvet and was soon right in front of Alex looking down at him. Compared to Cardin, Alex looked like a little guy, but one should never under estimate their opponent.

"You better choose your next words carefully or else." Cardin threatened but Alex was unfazed.

"Or else what?" Alex said with a smirk. He was hoping Cardin would take a swing at him. As he expected, Cardin reeled his fist back to punch, but Alex was ready. He simply stepped to the side out of the way of Cardin's fist, effectively dodging. At the same time, he grabbed Cardin's wrist while placing his other hand on his back shoulder and pushing him down over his outstretched leg, knocking the dumbass off balance and face first into the ground. Velvet and the rest of Cardin's team were shocked at how quickly Alex reacted and how easily he knocked him to the ground, while Cardin quickly recovered and was ready to strike back. In his rage he failed to notice Alex take a more solid fighting stance as Cardin blindly charged at him. In another quick fluid motion, Alex placed a well-timed kick straight into Cardin's exposed mid-section, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to stop and clutch his body. Alex took this opportunity to finish him off with a hard punch to Cardin's neck, causing him to go down on his knees and cough his lungs out. He tried to get up again, but found it hard to breath with the literal pain in his neck. The rest of his team just stared wide-eyed at the guy who effectively and brutally incapacitated their leader with no effort. They felt a sudden chill go down their spine as Alex looked up at them.

"Tell this dumbass that if he tries to assault a teacher again, he's going to be kicked out of Beacon." Alex said in a serious tone.

"You're a… a teacher?" Russel nervously asked. Alex pulled out his scroll ID to show them and they suddenly paled.

"I can't wait to see you guys next semester… because your asses are mine." He said with an evil grin. "Now get this idiot out of here and get the fuck out of my face!" He screamed at Russel while Sky and Dove grabbed the still coughing and dazed Cardin to get him away from Alex. Velvet meanwhile was amazed at what just happened.

"Hey Velvet, you okay?" Alex asked her. She was brought out of her awe and saw that Alex changed back from the cold and focused fighter, to the friendly guy she saw the other morning.

"Yes. Thank you for that, but you didn't have to step in." She replied.

"You're right, I didn't have to. But aren't you a warrior in training? I'm sure you could've clobbered those guys." He asked her. She looked down in embarrassment.

"It's not that I can't, it's just… not in my nature to confront others. I've been bullied my whole life, I just kind of got used to it." Alex only looked at her with contempt.

"Velvet, it's not really my place to say but if you don't stand up for yourself, everyone is just going to walk all over you."

"That's what Coco tells me, but it's not easy."

"Look at it like this, people like that guy only understand one thing: strength. If you show your strength, then he'll probably back off. Just saying." Alex explained, while Velvet took in what he said.

"I'll think about it. Thank you, Alex. Oh, and did you say you were a teacher?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, myself and the rest of the guys are teaching a course next semester. Keep it on the down low though, it's still a work in progress." He said with a smile.

"Okay, maybe I'll see you in it?"

"Well, it's mandatory for everyone so yes, I'll see you and those morons in it." Velvet nodded then looked at the time. As much as she wanted to keep talking to him, she had business elsewhere.

"I need to get going, but I just want to say thank you again for helping me."

"Your welcome, now get going." He said with a smile as she left and waved goodbye to him. As Alex carried on towards his room, he was unaware of a pair of amber eyes watching from the shadows.

 _"Thank God for steel toe boots, otherwise I've would've broken my foot."_ Alex thought to himself.

 **Back in their room**

"That's the new fridge huh? Looks good. Lots of space for beer and other drinks." Alex said as he inspected the new fridge.

"It was a good price too. Only 700 lien." Nick answered.

"I don't understand the money here. They're plastic cards with denominations and a magnetic strip like a credit card. Does everyone carry around a wallet full of these cards? If they all have a magnetic strip, wouldn't it just be easier to have a credit card? It's just so weird." Greg commented on the currency of Remnant. Right as they were about to start another random conversation topic, there was another knock at their door. This time Alex went to go answer and was surprised to see Coco at the door in her usual attire.

"Hey Coco, what brings you here?" He asked while wondering about how she found their room already.

"I came to talk to you, in private if you don't mind." Unlike her normal tone, she sounded serious.

"Yeah, sure." He answered as he stepped into the hallway. "So, what's up?"

"Velvet told me what happened earlier. I've been trying to help her stand up to idiots like Cardin, even offering a "lending hand" but she says she needs to deal with it on her own. I noticed it getting worse and was about to step in, at least until you stepped in. I don't know what you said to her, but she seemed to take it to heart and well… thank you." Coco had a very grateful look on her face. Alex on the other hand, didn't know how to respond.

"All I did was tell her that sometimes people only know force and that you may have no choice but to use it. Well, something along those lines." He managed to reply.

"Stop being so modest Alex. Velvet is one of my best friends and I love her like a sister. It killed me seeing her constantly being tormented just because she is a Faunus, but now she seems more confident after your little hallway stunt. So, again, thank you." Before Alex could respond, he suddenly felt Coco wrap her arms around him as he was pulled into an embrace with her. It was not a sexual hug by any means, just a nice friendly one that was filled with gratitude. He was caught off guard, but managed to return the hug while trying to ignore the pleasant scent of her hair. Alex could've sworn the shampoo she used smelt a lot like cocoa beans. Go figure.

"Huh, and you called me a softie." He teased, referring to a few days ago. They separated from the hug and Coco followed up with a playful punch to Alex's shoulder.

"Hey Alex, do want us to leave so you two can have some privacy?" Nick teased from the other side of the door. Instead of answering, Alex kicked backwards into the door and heard the satisfying sound of the door making contact with Nick's head. "A simple no would've worked." Nick replied as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"Sorry about that." Alex said to Coco, who was giggling at how Alex responded.

"It's fine, I wouldn't expect any less of Nick." She replied. "Moving on, what are you guys doing this weekend?"

"Now that we're settled in, we need to get some stuff for our room. You know, the essentials like alcohol, cigarettes, a game system for the TV and minor stuff like food and hygiene products." He joked to her.

"Well, Velvet and I are going shopping tomorrow while Fox and Yatsu go see a movie, you guys want to tag along?" She asked.

"Actually, that reminds me, we all need to get more clothes and since you're normally well dressed, we're wondering if you know any decent shops?" Even with her sunglasses on, you can see her eyes light up at what Alex said.

"Yes, I do. Tomorrow at 10. Airship dock. Be ready." She said in a very serious tone. And with that she gave one last goodbye before departing and leaving Alex slightly concerned at how she answered.

"What did Coco want? Greg asked.

"She asked what we were doing this weekend and apparently she's going to take us clothes shopping tomorrow." Alex replied.

"That's nice of her." Ivan said.

"I don't know, I hear nothing but bad things happening when guys go shopping with girls." Nick said while holding an icepack to his head.

"Oh, come on, that's just stupid." Alex berated. He had no idea he was about to be in a world of hurt.

 **The next day 1620, 20 mins after getting back from shopping**

"Okay I'll say it. Nick was right." Alex groaned while laying down on the couch. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this terrible.

"I would rather nail my dick to a table, than spend another day shopping with Coco." Nick said as he and Greg carried an exhausted Ivan to his bed.

"Poor Ivan, he took one for the team and deserves a medal. I know he's strong but even he has his limits. At least we got new clothes to wear." Greg remarked.

"Nick, from now on we're shopping with Rubicon. Between taking the airship and carrying everything back, I will gladly pay delivery fees." Alex said while his face was buried in the couch.

"It wouldn't have been bad if Coco didn't take us 20 different stores and try on so many outfits." Greg commented as he removed Ivan's boots and threw a blanket over him.

"I'm more upset that she made us her bag carriers for the stuff she bought after we got what we needed. But seriously, if no one does, I will declare Ivan a Hero of the Russian Federation and give him his gold star medal." Nick replied.

"Whatever. What's done is done. Now put in a rush delivery order for alcohol, I needed a drink three hours ago." Alex said getting up from the couch to put away their new clothes. Coco was a cool person to hang out with, but he is never shopping with her again. Right now, all he wanted to do was relax and have a drink. However, the responsible leader inside his head told him he needs to continue working on their course for next semester. Sometimes he hated the burdens of responsibility. He looked up to see Nick and Greg leaving Ivan's room and closing the door.

"Alright, the big guy is tucked in and out for the night. So, what do you guys want? Beer, vodka or both?" Nick asked, pulling up the Rubicon app for rush delivery.

"Both. And get pizza also, I'm starving." Alex replied.

"You got it. I'll get some extra for Ivan in case he wakes up." Nick said as he placed the order.

"Good. In the meantime, we have to continuing working on our class. After all, it's the only way we can stay here." Alex reasoned.

"I got some of the basic outline written down and I also have Nick and Ivan's plans for a physical conditioning program. We're also going to need a lot of space if we're going to do this." Greg addressed to Alex who was looking over rough draft.

"I'll talk to Ozpin next week on figuring out the logistics for this. This class seems very important to him, so we better make it good." Alex commented. Just then, there was a knock at the door which Nick answered to reveal a Rubicon delivery man with four large pizzas, two 30 racks of beer and a large bottle of vodka.

"Wow, when you say rush delivery, you mean it." Nick commented while sighing for everything.

"You literally just put that order in." Greg commented while noticing the pizzas were hot and fresh, and the beer was nice and cold.

"Rubicon prime man." Nick replied. The aroma of the pizza was so strong, that it woke up Ivan, who suddenly looked completely well rested.

"Of course, you wake up for food." Alex joked while everyone took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Did I miss anything?" Ivan asked.

"Nah man, have a beer." Nick said as he tossed a can to Ivan.

"Oh yeah, Ivan, when you asked if we could make a team name out of our initials, I managed to come up with one." Greg commented.

"This I want to hear." Alex said with amusement.

"It wasn't easy and I'm not that creative with word play but; Alex, Greg, Nick, Ivan. A-G-N-I. The best I can come up with is AGNI or "Agony". Everyone at the table thought about it.

"Seems fitting. Shopping with Coco was pure agony." Nick joked.

"Clever." Alex said with a grin.

"I like it." Ivan said.

"Well, we're not really a school team and this isn't official or anything. It's just something for fun." Greg commented.

"It's fine man. It can be an inside joke. Maybe it'll catch on." Nick said. And with that, Alex raised his can of beer in the air followed by the rest.

"To Fireteam AGNI." Alex proclaimed.

"To Fireteam AGNI!" The rest of the table repeated, then proceeded to drink their beers.

 **A/N: OK first off, I chose the character names before the team name. It's just a coincidence that it spells out something that makes sense. Second, it wouldn't be a RWBY Fanfic if it didn't have a Cardin bullying Velvet scene. Finally, the White Fang are going to be a larger, more active threat to Remnant and the primary enemies in the future.**

 **Next chapter is going to be the start of the next semester and when the guys will show Beacon how fucked up the world really is. Like I said, school starts for me so don't hold your breath. Just know I'll be here typing when time allots. Until then thanks for all the support.**

 **Hawk out**


	8. Chapter 8

**I apologize for the last update and hope this fairly lengthy chapter makes up for it. If it doesn't, well I tried.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY and related franchises belong to their respective owners**

 **Legal Disclaimer: Any reference to real world organizations in this story are used for entertainment purposes only, and shall not be used as a judge of character.**

Chapter 8: The First Day

 **Beacon amphitheater**

"Hey guys, over here!" Ruby waved over to JNPR. Jaune and his team navigated their way through the sea of first and second year students over to their friends and sat down. The amphitheater was filled with the murmurs and conversations of the students, anxiously waiting for the start of the new classes that Alex and his squad would be teaching. The general attitude amongst the student was overall intrigue at the unknown. By now Alex's squad was already known throughout the school and most of Vale as the heroes of Oxford, and those said heroes were actually part of a new secret special purpose unit that Ozpin and the top officials of the police force created. At least that's what was released to the public. They were told that unlike Huntsmen who primarily fought Grimm, these guys dealt with their fellow Humans and Faunus who've gone down a darker path. Not much else was said, but the message was clear: these guys take care of the trash and they do not fuck around. Again, half-truths.

"So, what do you guys think these classes are going to be like?" Ruby asked the group.

"It's hard to say, but one thing for sure is that these classes sound more…serious." Ren answered trying to find the right word. When the students received the notification of new required classes, they were not sure of what to make of the courses. Phrases like Terrorism-Awareness, Asymmetric Warfare, Counter Terrorism and Counterinsurgency were seldom used in Remnant and sounded completely foreign to the Beacon students. On the other hand, combat conditioning, decision making skills and leadership development sounded more familiar to them.

"Well no matter what, Teams RWBY and JNPR are up to the challenge!" Ruby exclaimed being the little motivator she is.

"And we're not?" Ruby turned around to see Coco, followed by her team, pretending to be offended.

"Oh, ha right. Can't forget about CFVY." Ruby sheepishly replied while Coco just chuckled while she and her team sat next to the first years.

"Do you guys know anything about these classes?" Jaune asked Coco, who only shook her head.

"The only thing I know is that third and fourth years only have to take about half of these classes. Something about them being grandfathered in or something." She answered.

"Really? I thought you of all people would know something, considering you and Alex seem to hang out a lot." Yang teased. In reality, it was just Alex asking Coco about places in the City or directions around the school and other stuff he didn't want to bother Ozpin with. But in a school full of hormonal teens, perception is reality and to the uninformed, it did seem like Coco and Alex had something going on.

"I'm not going to dignify that with response." Coco calmly answered.

"Nothing wrong with being into older men." Yang said with a grin. Before anyone could respond the lights suddenly dimmed and the large projector in the room began to power on.

"Enough, class is starting." Weiss shushed to Yang. As soon as the video started, many students were taken back as the first image was the flag of the White Fang hanging in a dimly lit room. Three White Fang grunts came into view dragging behind them tied up hostages with burlap sacks over their heads. A closer inspection revealed them to be SDC employees. The lead Fang member reached to remove the sacks covering the hostages to reveal two men and one woman who were gagged and severely beaten.

"This is a message to the Humans from the Fang." The lead member said into the camera. You could feel the sudden shift of mood in the amphitheater. Everyone was focused on the video of the Fang member ranting about the crimes of Humanity and that their time was up while he waved a knife in front of the tied-up hostages. Finally, the lead member finished his rant and signaled to the other two in the room, who pointed their guns at the male hostages.

"Don't look Ruby." Yang said as she brought Ruby close to her. Ruby didn't see anything, but she heard two gunshots and the sounds of gasps and small screams from the other students.

"Yang?" Ruby weakly asked.

"Not yet." Yang replied. She remembered hearing about a White Fang video that went viral and how it ended. Obviously, this was it.

"This is only the beginning!" The lead member shouted before he took his knife to the female, who pleaded with tears in her eyes. More screams filled the room as the lead member slit the woman's throat and the life left her eyes. The feed ended and switched over to a montage of video clips and news reports of various acts of terror throughout all of Remnant by the Fang and other groups like the Anti-Faunus Action group or ANTIFA for short. Many students had vague memories of those stories in the news, but paid no heed to them. Needless to say, the entire audience was in a state of shock after seeing these horrible acts that they practically ignored back then. Ruby was still huddled with Yang, who was shaking from both shock and rage of the videos. Weiss was already having bad flashbacks of her childhood and held back her anger. Like Weiss, Blake also was having bad flashbacks of what she has done for the White Fang. Jaune looked like he was going to throw up but held it down while Pyrrha wrapped her arm around him. Under normal circumstances she would be enjoying to close physical contact, but not this time. Nora was leaning closely to Ren while he held her tight. Velvet was using her rabbit ears to cover her eyes while Coco held her in a tight embrace. She looked to see the male members of her team had blank neutral expressions, but could see the anger seething. Finally, the lights came on and everyone saw the Russians front and center in their uniforms, with very serious faces. Alex then stepped forward and did quick scan of the crowd. Other than the occasional sob, there was total silence as the students turned their attention to Alex.

"Terrorism: the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to instill fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological." His voice was clear and powerful. "There are three key elements of terrorism: violence, fear and intimidation." He scanned the crowed again and saw he had everyone's attention. "As of now, the Kingdom of Vale has no current policy on terrorism, seeing as it hasn't been a problem before. But the world is changing." Greg then stepped forward.

"The videos you just saw are real events that occurred within the past few years. There is more to these attacks than the immediate victims, as terrorists commit acts of violence to draw the attention of the local population, the government and the world to their cause. Remember, a successful attack is not the one that causes the most casualties, but the one the gains the most publicity." The crowed remained deep in thought as Ivan stepped in.

"Publicity is important for rallying others to their cause. We can look at the three perspectives of terrorism: the terrorist, the victim and the general public. Ironically the terrorist's view themselves as heroic, fighting for a worthy cause. The victim obviously disagrees and view them as criminals with no regard for life. But the general public can be swayed in either direction." The audience looked surprised at the thought of the public supporting terrorists. Finally, Nick stepped forward to conclude the intro.

"Think about it. One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. If a group is able to win over the local populace, then their cause would be aided and much closer to reaching their goals. Take for example the White Fang. Their overall goal is Faunus equality, so they obviously have a large channel of support. On the flip side though, ANTIFA was created in response to the White Fang's violence and they also have a large support group. But since both of these groups deliberately target civilians, neither can gain full public support and often clash with governments, law enforcement and more recently the Huntsmen." Everyone now had a look of dread and concern on their faces. No longer was the world black and white. No longer was it people versus the Grimm. They realized that there was evil in the world and it was more complicated than just petty criminals.

"There's more bad news unfortunately. When acts of terrorism occur, what else happens? They create fear, panic and other negative emotions. And what does that do?" Alex asked the audience. A lone hand went up and he realized it was Ruby's.

"It attracts the Grimm." She answered flatly.

"Then you're out of the frying pan and into the fire." He noticed how everyone looked like their view on the world just got shattered. Well they did. A very small part of him felt guilty for breaking their innocence, but these kids are training to be warriors and they'll need to grow up eventually. Another hand went up and Alex identified it as Pyrrha's

"Um Professor Volkov, what exactly is the purpose of this course?" Pyrrha asked.

"Okay first off, do not call any of us 'professor' or 'doctor' or any title that teachers normally go by. You can refer to us by our rank and last name. I'm Sgt. Volkov, the head instructor. I am assisted by Sgt. Fedorov, Cpl. Stepanov and Cpl. Sokolov. We're not regular teachers. We don't give out homework or make you guys feel like special flowers. If you suck at life, we'll call you out on it and tell you how to un-fuck yourself. Another thing is, we curse and use a lot of profanity. If any of you feel offended by it, well that's too fucking bad." As far as Alex could tell, it didn't look like anyone had a problem.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Pyrrha replied with her catch phrase and a look of embarrassment for some reason. "What exactly is the purpose of this course, Sgt. Volkov?"

"Good question. I suppose I can make up some bullshit about how this course can build you up as Huntsmen and be better people and what not. But honestly, I think it's whatever you can take away from the course and apply it. We'll go over terrorism as a whole including types, motives, and tactics but more importantly we'll also go over how to be aware of potential threats, how to respond and prevent attacks and even going on the offensive to stop attacks from happening in the first place. How you learn and apply the knowledge we pass, is entirely up to you guys." Alex addressed to the crowd. Greg stepped forward to speak again.

"Furthermore, we'll be focusing on strengthening the relationships between you and your team members. You'll be given various tasks, and challenges that can only be completed as a team. Additionally, we'll teach everyone the skills to think critically and make tough decisions. I'll give you guys a hint; sometimes you'll have to choose the lesser of two evils. And while we're strengthening your team bonds, why not your leadership skills as well? You fight as one team, but you're still individuals. If something happens to your leader, someone needs to step up, right?" There were murmurs of agreement from the audience as Ivan stepped forward.

"These courses are more hands on than classroom based. About 20 percent will be classroom work and the rest is all practical application. There will be one written midterm and final. Both are multiple choice and open book. We're more concerned with if you can apply the techniques we teach rather than memorize answers for a test. You'll be doing stuff like what to do in hostage situations, conducting recon and surveillance, planning a raid on a compound, offensive and defensive strategies, unarmed and close quarter engagements and much more." There was now visible excitement amongst the students. To them, this stuff sounded cool. It was now Nick's turn to speak.

"Let's not forget there's going to be spars just like with Goodwitch. But unlike her class, you won't always use your weapons." That got a few gasps from the crowd, especially from a little red reaper. "Don't tell me you fuckers bring your weapons with you everywhere, because I know you don't. There's places in the city that won't let you take weapons with you and you guys just leave them in your rocket lockers. What are you going to do if you're in a bar fight or someone's trying to mug you or maybe you get disarmed in fight? I'll tell you right now that the answer is not to give up, because I know your enemy won't stop just because you don't have a weapon. In essence, you're going to learn fight dirty. In this class, forget everything Goodwitch taught you about fighting etiquette and tournament rules, and throw that shit in the trash because there is no mercy in this classroom and you don't stop until we tell you to stop." Some of the students cheered at the idea of rule free fighting, while some had worried looks on their faces. Poor Jaune was only alive because Professor Goodwitch stopped fights before he got really fucked up.

"But when we say stop, you better fucking stop!" Alex shouted, causing some of the students to jump. He had to get his point across and kindly remind them that they are in charge. "Now that you know what to expect from this course, here is what we expect from you: There is zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. That includes, but is not limited to, discrimination towards Faunus, Humans, gender, age, race, nationality, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs just to name a few. You are a select few of the population that everyone looks up to. You are what stands between them and the Grimm. You are all on the same team. And I don't know about you, but I think it's fucking bullshit that here we all are, fighting every day to survive and not get overrun by the Grimm, and there's still assholes who think of other's as beneath them. I'll make this simple. If any of us see that shit, you're dealing with me personally, then I'm sending your ass to Headmaster Ozpin where I guarantee you'll be on the next airship out of Beacon and then you're dealing with me again only this time you're not protected with student status. Do I make myself clear?" He made himself crystal clear. A collective of head nods and replies of "yes" made sure of that. He then turned towards Greg and gave him a nod.

"Moving on, some other expectations we expect are showing up to class on time, participating, listening to our instructions and doing the work. You know, the usual. And finally, grading. You'll be graded on previous mentioned expectations. Easy enough?" Once more, the crowed agreed.

"I think that covers everything. Are there any questions?" Alex asked. Almost instantly, Weiss shot her hand up. " _What a fucking surprise."_ He thought to himself.

"Sgt. Volkov sir, I…"

"I'm not a 'sir'. I work for a living." Alex quickly interrupted, catching Weiss of guard.

"Uh, Right. I just want clarification, this course is more focused on combat against other people, not Grimm?" She asked.

"I thought it was pretty straight forward, but yeah. Port and those other guys can teach you about Grimm. I'm here to teach about the other monsters that plague Remnant." Alex replied. Another hand went up, this one belonging to Blake.

"You talk a lot about dealing with other people and focus on fighting them. I'm just wondering, have you guys killed before?" She asked. Alex was wondering when that question would come up. Lucky for him he was ready.

"Yes, we have." He answered. Many students now had a concerned look on their face, being in the presence of people who've killed before. Blake raised her hand for a follow up question.

"Did you feel anything when you…killed?" She asked with a hint of worry.

"Yeah, recoil from my rifle." He dryly answered. Almost everyone in the room gasped at his answer.

"How can you say something like that?!" Coco shouted to Alex.

"Because like it or not, sometimes taking a life can save hundreds or even thousands. Tell me, have any of you seen a school full of children get firebombed? Or heard the stories of women who were sold as sex slaves to fund a terrorist organization? Have you seen people leaving everything behind and run for their lives to avoid execution by death squads?" No one said anything. "I have seen the awful things people are capable of and I will not sit idly by, while scum like the White Fang or ANTIFA or any other lowlifes that don't value life, live to see the next day. So long as I'm alive, I will fight to protect those who can't protect themselves. Be it Human or Faunus, I will fight to my last bullet, my last ounce of strength and my last drop of blood so that peace and freedom shall prevail!" The crowd was in awe of Alex's speech. He spoke with such passion and power that some students gave him applause. RWBY, JNPR and CFVY at first were at first apprehensive towards Alex's response, but now they had a better understanding of where he was coming from and felt empowered by his words. Well most of them anyway. Blake felt uneasy with Alex's attitude towards the White Fang and yet she admired his apparent nonjudgmental view towards the Faunus. She needs to confront him in private sooner rather than later. Her instincts told her Alex was being genuine, but those same instincts were also telling her to watch out for him. She was brought out of her train of thought when Nick stepped forward to address the audience.

"Alright, let's lighten the mood in here, shall we? I'm thinking we start off with a little spar, what do you guys think?" That got a positive reaction from the room.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Ivan asked.

"Oh, oh right here!" Ruby waved to get the attention of the Russians. Alex watched with amusement as Ruby was jumping up and waving both of her hands in the air.

"Alright Rose, thank you for volunteering your team." He said to her.

"All of us?" Weiss asked.

"Well duh, this a team spar." Alex replied. Team RWBY just shrugged and made their way to the center. As RWBY made their way forward, Greg pushed a button on his scroll to reveal the sparring ring. However, this one was different. Unlike the clean one in Goodwitch's class, there was broken glass, furniture and other forms of debris all over a dirt covered ring.

"I think you guys forgot to clean the ring." Yang joked. Alex just smirked at her.

"Nope, it's supposed to look like that. Anyway, let's go over the rules." He replied.

"Wait, who are we fighting against?" Ruby asked.

"Isn't obvious? You guys are going to fight us." Nick answered her. That definitely surprised RWBY, but they looked determined and ready.

"Alright ladies first off, combat spars in this class is more focused on technique and your overall physical strength, stamina and abilities. So, unless we say so, no semblances and no weapons."

"What!? How are we supposed to fight?" Weiss asked. Alex just scoffed at her.

"We did tell you that we're going to train you to fight without weapons, right?" She nodded. "As for the semblances, you're telling me you guys rely on them so much, that without them, you're useless in a fight? And here I thought you all were badass Huntress's. Maybe I was wrong." He casually remarked.

"Well we'll show you! I can take you guys on with my eyes closed! Team RWBY can do anything!" Yang exclaimed. Alex just maintained a smug grin that was starting to antagonize RWBY.

"All right ladies, get in combat gear and meet in the ring. Everyone else can take a 10-minute break." Alex addressed to the rest of the students. As RWBY left to get changed, the Russians went into a back room to get in their combat gear.

"Nice job with the video Greg, you scared to shit of everyone." Alex complimented Greg while reaching for his assault vest.

"Thanks. I was trying to go for shock and awe." Greg replied as he was putting on his elbow and shin guards.

"That was a beautiful speech towards the end, almost made shed a tear." Nick commented while pretending to wipe away a tear.

"You guys, I'm okay with fighting girls, but they still have their auras. Doesn't this seem dangerous?" Ivan asked while putting his gloves on.

"Don't worry Ivan, based on the notes we have on aura, they can still feel pain and can get hurt. Plus, it does nothing for choke holds and pressure points. So long as we can incapacitate them, I think we'll be fine." Greg answered.

"Besides, the kids are reckless. They're just going to charge straight for us in an all-out attack. Just a few counter-moves and they'll be down." Alex said.

"What makes you think they'll just charge head on?" Ivan asked.

 **Meanwhile with RWBY**

"Oh man, what are we going to do? I can't fight without my baby." Ruby cried out.

"Calm down Ruby! You're the team leader for Pete's sake." Weiss retorted.

"Don't worry guys. Just charge them head on. We're fighting up close, so close the distance as fast as you can, then start swinging. After all, they did say we can fight dirty." Yang reasoned to her teammates. Considering she was the only one who had any experience in fighting unarmed, they were inclined to listen to her.

"I don't think that's a good idea Yang, I'm pretty sure Alex and those guys know how to fight and counter people like you." Blake said.

"Trust me guys, charging them at full speed is a full proof plan." Yang assured everyone as they made their way back to class.

 **Back with the Russians**

"Trust me, they will." Alex assured Ivan.

"Something tells me I'm going to end up fighting Weiss. I'm fairly confident she's still pissed at me from the other day." Nick commented as he put on his balaclava.

"You'll be fine, I'm more concerned about Yang. She actually knows how to fight unarmed." Greg said.

"She knows how to throw punches and fight offensively. She doesn't know any counters." Alex replied.

"I'll take care of her." Ivan said as he put on his helmet.

"Remember what her file said." Alex commented.

"I know. Don't fuck with her hair." Ivan replied.

"Seriously man, I don't think you're going to get a third chance at life." Nick joked.

"I'll take Blake. I feel like she has some hidden tricks up her sleeve." Greg said.

"Guess that leaves me with the kid." Alex commented. All four of the Russians were fully geared up, minus their weapons. It was now time to test their abilities against four teenage girls. As they stepped out of the back room, they saw RWBY eagerly waiting for them in the ring while the rest of the students waited for the fight to begin. The class was surprised to see the Russians in their full combat gear. As they stepped into the ring, they could tell RWBY looked a little nervous. Then again, they only wore their everyday clothes, while the Russians were decked out in their assault vests, guards for their joints and shins, protective gloves, their helmets with the protective visor for their eyes down and of course the balaclava's concealing the lower halves of their faces. Just to fuck with their heads even more, they were cracking their knuckles and stretching out their necks.

"You guys seem nervous." Greg commented to RWBY.

"Don't worry, we won't use our semblances." Ivan reassured the girls. _"Considering we don't have any."_ He thought to himself.

"It's not that, it's just that we don't have any of that protective stuff you're wearing." Ruby commented.

"Aww, well it sucks to suck." Nick taunted. That got some mean glances from the girls.

"Hey girls, how about a little bet?" Alex asked.

"What kind of bet?" Yang asked.

"If you beat us, class is dismissed early." He replied.

"Deal!" Yang hastily replied.

"But if we win, the entire class is going for a little "fun run". The girls didn't like the way he used that phrase.

"You're on!" Yang decided to speak for the team.

"All right ladies, it's a deal." Seeing as how the whole class was involved, they were already cheering for RWBY to win and defeat the Russians. Both teams went towards their starting positions in the ring.

"Come on team, we got this." Ruby said in an attempt to build up confidence. Whether it was for her team or herself, she didn't know.

"Remember, the goal is to incapacitate or get your opponent to tap out. Got it?" Alex shouted to RWBY.

"Got it!" They replied. Both sides were lined up on opposite ends of the ring. Coincidentally, Ruby was across from Alex, Weiss faced Nick, Blake was centered to Greg and Yang was targeting Ivan. The excess debris that littered the ring would prove to be a hinderance to both sides. Or it could be used to one's advantage.

"Team RWBY! Are you ready?" Alex shouted.

"Ready!" They shouted back.

"Fight!" Alex shouted, starting the match.

Just as Alex predicted, Team RWBY was rushing their position in an attempt to close the distance on them. All four Russians got into a defensive stance and kept focus on their opponents who were closing in. True to her character, Yang was in position to make the first strike on Ivan. She reeled back her fist and took to the air in order to get the drop on Ivan. Ivan watched her preform the predictable move and readied himself. Yang's over-confidence has proven to be her downfall when right as she was about to strike Ivan, he stepped in and reached around her waist, essentially "catching" her in mid-air. The next thing Yang felt was Ivan using her own momentum to hip toss her to the ground. There was a loud "thud" when she hit the deck and hit her head on a pile of rocks. Even with Aura, that still hurts. She was brought out of her momentary daze by a sudden weight on her and a constricting pressure around her neck. In a split second, Ivan was on top of Yang and had her in a deadly choke hold. Yang did her best to try and loosen Ivan's grip or shake him off, but to no avail. He had his arm wrapped tightly around her neck and was using his other as leverage to increase the pressure, while driving his knee into her back and keeping his foot on her calves, preventing her from standing up. Yang kept struggling to try and break Ivan's hold, but it was getting harder for her to breath. Eventually, everything started to go fuzzy and she couldn't focus. Her face started to turn red, then blue, and was starting to turn purple as the blood flow to her head was being stopped. She managed to barley hear Ivan shouting something to her.

"Tap out!" He shouted. Her pride was telling her "no", but her body was saying "yes" just to end the agonizing discomfort. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and reluctantly tapped on Ivan's arm for him to release his grip. The second he did, she almost cried tears of joy over a simple thing like being able to breathe again. "Sorry Yang, but you're out." He calmly stated. But she didn't care. Never had she felt such pain. Never had she felt so close to death. The audience on the other hand, was in total dismay. Yang Xiao Long was one of the best fighters among the first years, and yet she was quickly eliminated with minimal effort on Ivan's part. They watched as Ivan carried her out of the ring and set her down on a bench to catch her breath.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted. She wanted to rush over and make sure her sister was okay, but was suddenly stopped in her tracks when she felt a powerful force tug at her neck.

"You're still in the middle of a fight Rose!" Alex shouted to her. To her horror, Alex had a firm grip of her red cloak and was reeling her in like a fish. She did her best to try and run away from him, but it only caused more pain in her neck. Alex meanwhile, was disappointed that Ruby hadn't considered un-doing her cloak to break free. He managed to rope her in despite her attempts to flee. Fearing for her safety, she sent a flurry of poorly coordinated punches at Alex, which he effortlessly blocked or dodged. He finally decided that he should end this quickly. He gave her a swift knee strike to her gut which caused her to double over. Then he reached around Ruby's neck and felt for the hood that attached to her cloak. After finding the hood, he pulled it up over her entire head and tightened the draw strings, completely enclosing the hood over her face. It was almost sad watching Ruby try and open up her hood only to fail miserably. She then felt a sudden pain directed at her face coupled with a taste of blood, and next thing she knew, she was on the ground lying on what felt like broken glass, with a bloody nose. The shards from the glass on the ground started to dig further into her back as she felt the weight of Alex's boot press down on her chest and she felt his grip around her throat. Knowing she was out-matched and out of her comfort-zone, she did the only thing she could do.

"I give." Ruby weakly said. Relief swelled through her as Alex released his holds over her body and helped her to her feet, brushing off some the dirt on her clothes and freeing her from her hood.

"You may want to rethink the cloak. Go ahead and take a seat by your sister. Also, tilt your head back to help that bloody nose." He said in a friendlier tone. Ruby could only weakly smile as she made her way over to Yang. With half of Team RWBY down, the students were now worried. Not so much at the thought of a "fun run", but at how fast and ruthlessly they got eliminated. Their Auras barley took any hits and yet they down for the count. The new collective thought was that if these guys were this effective unarmed, then what are they like when they're armed?

"Man, I'm so glad we didn't volunteer to fight." Cardin said to the rest of Team CRDL, who nodded in agreement after watching how brutal Alex and Ivan were to Ruby and Yang.

The monochrome pair of RWBY could only stare in awe at how fast Ruby and Yang were taken out. They were now fully aware of how the Russians fought: with brutal and deadly efficiency. At least Weiss and Blake had enough sense to not charge head first at Nick and Greg, seeing as how it worked out so well for Yang and Ruby. They huddled close together in a pitiful attempt to try and keep the Russians from getting the jump on them. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered 2 to 4 as Alex and Ivan circled behind them, but kept their distance as to keep the girls from falling back. Greg and Nick were slowly closing on the two, while not dropping their arms and maintaining their fighting stances. Seeing as they were surrounded, the girls knew they had to fight their way out.

"Come on snow cone, let's dance!" Nick taunted to Weiss, who was visibly pissed at that nickname. She was still angry at him and wanted to put him in his place.

"Don't do it Weiss, he's trying to get you to attack him." Blake reasoned to her while watching out for Greg.

"I know you want to get back at me for the other day snowflake. Go ahead, punch me in the face, I'll even let you get my good side." He was now openly mocking her, indicating to wear he wanted her to hit him. She was doing her best to maintain her composure, but she could sense that stupid grin under his balaclava mocking her and it was driving her mad.

"Weiss…" Blake tried to calm the heiress down but knew she was about to lose her temper. Blake had to admit, taunting Weiss to attack is a very effective, but underhanded strategy.

"Come on Snow Angel... come to daddy." He mocked to her while motioning his hands towards himself. That was the last straw for Weiss. Ignoring Blake's cries of protest, she closed in fast on Nick and was ready to strike… until she got stopped by a round kick to her left side and a follow up punch to her right side causing her to lose her balance. Before she hit the ground however, she was stopped by Nick painfully grabbing her pony tail to catch her. Weiss then felt herself being yanked up by her hair and was forced up to eye level with Nick, forcing her to stare into his brown eyes. He gave her a quick wink before lifting his head back and having his helmet get acquainted with her forehead. A rapid succession of knee strikes to her mid-section followed by an uppercut to her jaw caused our dear Weiss to fall to ground, face first into the dirt. She groaned as she attempted to lift herself up from the ground, but fell flat when the sudden impact of Nick breaking an old wooden chair across her back stopped her from getting up.

"No mercy!" Nick shouted as he tossed aside the remains of the chair to the ground. Considering Weiss wasn't going to get up anytime soon, it was safe to assume she's out. Being the gentleman that Nick was, he reached down to pick up Weiss and hoisted her up into a fireman's carry to set her with the rest of her team. All that remained of RWBY was Blake who was trying to hold her own against Greg. Though Blake had experience fighting other people from her time in the White Fang, she was having trouble against Greg. Both combatants traded blows against the other, but Greg's training was proving to be more effective. The few times she did managed to land a hit on him, it was at the areas where he had the most protection. If it wasn't for her Aura protecting her, she knew she would've broken her hand after punching him dead center into his chest and the protective plate inside his vest.

"Not bad Blake, but it's time we finish this." Greg's attacks started to increase in speed and accuracy as he was striking more frequently on vital areas like her sides or her joints. The increased volume of kicks and punches were causing Blake to give ground and back away from Greg who showed no signs of letting up. Finally, Blake got a break from the onslaught of Greg's strikes as she slipped on a bottle that she failed to notice, knocking her off balance. Greg took advantage of the opportunity and tackled her to the ground, crashing into an old wooden table and breaking it. Both fighters were quick to recover from the fall and get up to face each other. This time however, Blake grabbed one of the broken table legs to use as a make shift bat to use against Greg. Feeling more revitalized with a weapon in hand, she swung towards his head hoping to get a jump on him. Unfortunately for Blake, Greg had very fast reflexes and simply dropped down low, out of the way of the improvised bat. As he shot back up, she didn't notice he grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and felt the irritation of having dirt thrown in her face. She desperately tried to clear the dirt from her eyes, only to have Greg once again take advantage of an opportunity and wrestle the table leg from her hands. The last thing Blake remembered was the feeling of a broken table leg making contact with her head and the sudden taste of dirt when she face-planted onto the ground and slipped into unconsciousness.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright." Greg reassured to the class, who had looks of horror on their faces. With the last member of RWBY knocked out and being carried by Greg over to her team, the fight was finally over.

"Alright that's enough. Team RWBY, you guys did what you could, but it wasn't enough." Alex said to the girls sitting on the bench, tending to their injured bodies and pride. Greg was also there doing a basic examination on Blake, to make sure she didn't have a concussion. The rest of the class was both amazed and terrified of the fight they just watched. Never had they've seen such brutally efficient methods used to take down an opponent. There was Team RWBY beaten and bruised, and then there was Russians who looked they barely broke a sweat. They now realized that they were not joking when they said the fights were going to be dirty. JNPR and CFVY at the start felt very optimistic about their friends, but it quickly faded as they watched each member get eliminated.

"W-what did you guys think about that fight?" Jaune nervously asked, as he started questioning the decisions he made in life.

"Well, they certainly wasted no time in taking down RWBY." Pyrrha commented.

"That's putting it nicely Pyrrha. They were utterly destroyed! Seriously! Blake is unconscious and Weiss had a chair smashed into her back! The only thing missing was them getting their legs broken. That's what I would've done at least." Nora replied with much excitement.

"Please remember that those our friends you're talking about Nora." Ren commented to Nora.

"Velvet, is this what Alex did to Cardin the other day?" Coco asked her teammate who was already shaking her head.

"Not to this extent. He barely did anything that day and it was enough to take Cardin down. What he did to Ruby, I would call it borderline torture." Velvet replied, still shocked that the guys they were sort of friends with were capable of such things. They can go from nice and funny, childish dumbasses, to cold blooded fighters, severely beating and almost killing their friends in an instant.

"They did say the fighting was going to be… different." Ren reasoned. Before the conversation could continue, Alex stepped forward. He removed his helmet, then lowered his balaclava before running his hand through his hair and scanning the audience once again.

"So, what did we learn today? Come on, you can be honest. You're not going to hurt my feelings."

"That fight was dirty and underhanded!" A random girl shouted. Alex just shrugged at her.

"Yeah, no shit. Didn't we tell you fuckers to forget that shit Goodwitch teaches you when you enter this room?" Alex replied with sarcasm.

"But there's no honor in fighting like that!" Some guy shouted.

"Honor is a fool's prize. Glory is of no use to the dead." Alex replied with a quote by Darth Revan. He hoped _Star Wars_ doesn't exist on Remnant and get called out for ripping off another franchise.

"What do you mean by that?" Pyrrha asked in a calm tone instead of shouting.

"When you're fighting the Grimm, do you show any mercy?" He paused for effect. "No, you terminate with extreme prejudice." He feels like that was a quote from a movie, but he couldn't remember at the moment." You'll do what's necessary to protect your life and the lives of other's. The same mentality can be applied to human opponents. Your enemy is not going to care if you fought with 'honor'…because you'll be dead, and they're still alive to cause mayhem and probably take more lives. But it's okay, because you had 'honor' and the prize you got… is death." They may not have liked that answer, but it was true.

"I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying it's okay to kill?" Pyrrha replied.

"It's never okay to kill. At least give them the chance to surrender. But when push comes to shove, be prepared to. In a perfect world, they'd be no Grimm, no prejudice and world peace. However, we do not live in a perfect world, therefore we must be ready to make the difficult choices." He answered back but Pyrrha had her hand up again.

"Earlier you said you didn't feel anything when you killed, does that mean you don't have any regret?" She asked.

"Your just full of questions, aren't you Nikos? Anyway, the people I've killed did horrible things for their beliefs, so I don't regret doing it. Does it get easier to deal with over time? Not really, but you can cope with it. Did I enjoy it? No, I do not enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it becomes a chore like any other." Pyrrha for now, seemed satisfied at his answer, despite the last quote coming from _Fallout: New Vegas_. _"I've got to stop ripping off franchises from Earth."_ Alex thought. The conversation switched to another topic when Jaune raised his hand.

"Are we going to learn, how to fight like you guys?" He asked. Alex couldn't help grinning at the blonde knight.

"Yes, we will. We'll teach everyone how to fight unarmed or with improvised weapons as well as how to execute and counter all those strikes and choke holds. You'll learn how to be aware of your surroundings and even use them to your advantage. Also, you'll learn how not to charge head first without trying to assess your opponent. But most importantly, you're about to learn what happens when you lose a bet." He had a wicked smile on his face. "If I recall, Team RWBY didn't beat us. So, guess what that means?" Everyone inwardly groaned. "Get changed over and meet at the new training fields. If you don't where it is, it's where the Eastern entrance to the Emerald Forest used to be. If you don't where that is, then you need to explore the school more." Collectively, the remaining students got up and left to go change, grumbling about having to go for a run. Alex looked over to see Greg, Nick and Ivan with team RWBY as they were chatting about the fight and looking over their injuries.

"Hey guys, how you are feeling?" Alex asked the girls. Thanks to their Auras, they were already making speedy recoveries but they still had some aliments that Aura can only do so much for. The only one who looked questionable was Blake, seeing as how she was still out cold and leaning on Yang.

"Well it kind of hurts when I breath but other than that I'm fine." Yang commented with a slight rasp in her voice.

"Yanking my hair is one thing, but did you really have to hit me with a chair?!" Weiss shrieked at Nick, who could only smile.

"Not really. But you have to admit it was funny." His comment earned a laugh from everyone except Blake for obvious reasons and Weiss who was glaring ice daggers at him." Maybe it's not funny to you right now, but eventually it'll be something you can laugh about later." She kept up her icy stare. "Or maybe not." Nick commented.

"Sgt. Fedorov, is Blake going to be okay?" Ruby asked, concerned for her teammate.

"She's still breathing and as far as I can tell, I don't see any signs of a concussion." Greg replied.

"Alright, you ladies are going to the infirmary and getting checked out. Greg, take Ivan and Nick and go meet the class at the training field. I'm going to accompany the girls to the infirmary." Alex said.

"Got it, any specific course or distance you want me to run?" Greg asked.

"Nothing crazy or too long. Six or seven miles. Eight at the most." He replied very casually.

"Ah, the usual." Ivan commented. Greg, Nick and Ivan left to change over and meet the rest of the class, while Alex accompanied RWBY to the infirmary. Luckily for him, on their way Blake started to come around.

"Ugh, what happened?" Blake weakly mumbled.

"Greg hit you upside the head with a broken table leg." Alex answered.

"Great." Was all she managed to reply before blacking out again. The rest of the girls looked at Blake, then over to Alex with a look of disapproval.

"Keep looking at me like that, and I'll make you run with the rest of the class."

 **Meanwhile.**

At an undisclosed location, two figures sat in office, looking over confidential files. One of the men looked over the report of Oxford's fate.

"Too bad about Oxford." One of the men said.

"Acceptable losses. Did that Sable fellow manage to get the dust samples that were discovered?" The other asked.

"Yes, and the SDC recovered a substantial amount for experimenting."

"Then I believe now is time to gather the other's and discuss the next phase. Were there any SDC employee's that survived with the civilians that got recused in Oxford?"

"Only Sable survived. Everyone else involved got killed by the Grimm."

"And where is Sable now?"

"Currently he's in Vale. He'll be taking a civilian airship back to Atlas tomorrow. Why?"

"We no longer require his services."

"I see. I'll call my men."

 **A/N: Was that fight realistic? No.**

 **Would RWBY get beaten that easily? Probably not.**

 **Does this story follow every element of the canon story line? No.**

 **Am I going to change it to appease the hardcore RWBY fans? Do you have even have to ask?**

 **Anyway, I know I say it a lot, but I thank you all for the support.**

 **Question: In general, do you guys like frequent updates and short chapters or the opposite? Obviously you'd rather have frequent updates with long chapters but let's be realistic. Not everyone is like Coeur.**

 **Hawk out.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Finals am I right? Anyway, this chapter is mostly filler again, but I have to get this plot crap out of the way before I move on.**

 **Pro tip: if you're going to be full time student, don't alternate between night and day classes. Not one of my smartest moves**

 **I don't own RWBY or any references to other franchises**

 **Any connections to real world organizations are used for entertainment purposes only**

Chapter 9: The cat's out of the bag

 **Beacon Infirmary: The next day**

Blake opened her eyes to the sight of sunshine and the sound of birds chirping on the window sill next to the bed she was resting on. Normally she wouldn't mind the cliché good morning scene, but a splitting headache was making it hard for her to tolerate the bright-ass sun and those fucking birds. She threw her head under the pillow, while she blindly tried to grab something to throw at the window to chase the birds away. Her prayers were answered when she gotten hold of a book and forcefully chucked it at the window, shooing the birds away.

"Damn birds." She muttered to herself. Blake's never been drunk, but she could only imagine this is what a hangover feels like. The intolerance of light, the horrible headache and now a loud thumping sound that seemed to echo through the room. The thumping sound turned out to be Alex stopping by to check in on her.

"Not much of a morning person huh?" Alex casually asked. She moved the pillow out of the way just enough to make out the form of Alex standing over holding what looked like a Tupperware container.

"I'm not much of a 'getting knocked unconscious' type of person actually." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "How long was I out?"

"Not long really. The nurse gave you some heavy-duty pain medication after we brought you in yesterday and you've been sleeping it off since then." He replied while taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"Why are you here then, Sgt. Volkov?" She asked while removing the pillow from her head and positioning herself to sit up straight.

"Blake, when we're not in class feel free to call me Alex. As to why I'm here, well you and your team got hurt in my class and since I'm lead instructor, it's technically my responsibility. So being the responsible person that I am, I had to make sure that my students are alright." He replied to Blake while she nodded in understanding. Her focus suddenly shifted to the pleasing aroma coming from the container Alex had brought with him. She knew that smell well, and her mouth started to water at the thought of the greatest delicacy to a cat Faunus: Fish.

"What's in that container?" She managed to ask while maintaining her composure.

"Funny story actually. Ruby figured you'd be hungry when you woke up and convinced the other two to cook you something. Long story short; your teammates, bless their hearts, can't cook to save their lives and now the kitchen in the west wing is closed due to fire damage." Blake couldn't help but smile at that. "Anyway, Ivan happened to stumble upon them and offered to lend a hand. They mentioned you liked fish, so Ivan cooked up some ukha as a favor to your team and also to not burn down the school. So yeah, this is for you." He explained to her while handing her the container and a spoon.

"What's ukha? Also, Ivan can cook?" Blake asked as she removed the lid and was smacked in the face with the beautiful, sweet scent of fish that caused her to drool a little.

"Fishman's soup. Nothing too fancy. Just a simple broth soup made with fish, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt, pepper and some other stuff. I think Ivan used salmon and cod in this batch. And yes he can. Surprised the rest of us when we first met him." Alex explained but looked to see Blake already digging in. He found it comical that a girl who normally had a sense of mystery and aloofness, coupled with a facial expression that told everyone to "fuck off", was devouring a bowl of soup like she hasn't eaten in days. Then again, that pain medication made her sleep for almost 24 hours, so it's no surprise that she was starving and managed to polish off that soup in in less than a minute. The goofy, satisfying grin she had was quickly replaced with her normal demeanor when she noticed Alex looking at her with a cocked eyebrow and an amused look on his face.

"Um, thank you. It was delicious." Blake meekly said with cheeks reddened from embarrassment.

"I'll let Ivan know you enjoyed it." Alex replied while taking the container from her and setting it on the table. "Anyway, glad to see you're alright. I'll let you rest up now, even though that's all you did yesterday." He lightheartedly joked to her. Blake however, knew this was her chance to get a read on Alex and discover who he is. It was now or never.

"Actually, do you have a moment to talk?" She asked.

"Well I'm supposed to attend a meeting with Professor Goodwitch in…" he glanced down at his watch, "…20 minutes ago. So yeah, I have time to talk. What's up?" Since he is a teacher, it's usually a good idea to listen to the concerns of students. Besides, he was in no hurry to meet with Goodwitch.

"I wanted to say thank you again for checking in on me and for the soup, but also I wanted to thank you and the others for Oxford." Blake wasn't really sure how to start the conversation with him, but she'll do the best she can.

"Like I've told everyone else, there's no need to thank us. We came across the town, investigated what happened and tried to leave when we found most of the people killed. It was pure luck we found survivors. If we hadn't run into that kid, there's a good chance none of them would've survived. You shouldn't thank us for luck." He replied with his usual response, trying to downplay their actions.

"But you guys are being hailed as heroes! Would you rather have left those people to die?!" She practically shouted but Alex just shrugged.

"Don't take my lack of…", he paused to find the right words, "…heroism or boasting as a sign of apathy. Of course, I'm glad we saved those people. It's just myself and the other guys don't care for being in the spotlight. Protecting others is part of our job. Sure, it's nice to be noticed every now and then, but we don't always need praise for doing what's expected of us." He calmly clarified. Blake suddenly felt like an idiot thinking Alex would leave people to die.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that you don't hear many stories of Humans helping the Faunus." Alex inwardly sighed at what she said. He and the rest of the gang were adjusting well to living in Remnant, but the one thing he couldn't get used to, was the blatant prejudice towards Faunus. Now, he'd be the biggest hypocrite if he had told everyone that he never made racist comments or had a certain disposition towards some of the people on Earth. He believed that everyone had a tiny bit of prejudice and racism whether they like it or not. It was just human nature in his opinion. But he also believed in giving people a chance to prove him wrong and show that they were good people, whereas a true racist wouldn't even give them the opportunity. Again, that's just him.

"Those stories are out there, believe it or not. You guys probably don't hear about it because it's not connected to a tragedy." Blake looked up, wanting him to continue. "Oxford had hundreds of people in that town and only 40 survived? You're going to hear about it. The White Fang and ANTIFA? They're all we've been hearing about lately because of their attacks. On top of that, there's also the Grimm and other problems like rising Dust prices and what not. My point is that don't let the darkness in the world overshadow the light." He explained to her.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Don't be so focused on what's bad and ignore the good out there. Thousands of people woke up today and went about their days. Thousands of people didn't get killed by terrorists or lost their homes to the Grimm. And of those thousands, both Human and Faunus, less than 1% are actual racists and bigots. I really doubt that every Human hates the Faunus or vice versa. The few times I've been in the city, I saw Human workers happily helping Faunus customers. I saw Faunus and Humans talking and laughing together over drinks. I saw children of both species playing together in the streets without caring what the other looked like. And if you need another example, look at Velvet and Coco. They're good friends despite their differences." Blake couldn't help smiling at what Alex was saying as if he was opening her eyes to a new outlook in life. "Are there shitty people out there? Of course, that'll never change. But there are more decent people than shit heads out there and we can't let those idiots shape how we view the world. I hope that clears some things up Blake." Alex noticed her smile and the hopeful look on her face.

"Yes, it did. Thank you, Alex. And you're right, it is hard to notice the good when the bad gets all the attention. I'm glad you reminded me that maybe the world isn't that bad." She was glad that her initial assessment of Alex was true: That he really is a decent guy and she can say the same for Greg, Nick and Ivan.

"You're welcome. Now do you mind if I ask you something?" He asked and she nodded.

"Is there a reason your hiding your cat ears?" Blake's smile quickly changed to a look of shock and surprise as she noticed Alex waving the black ribbon she fashioned into a bow, in front of her face. She placed her hand atop her head and felt the familiar feel of her Faunus heritage. "You did have a head injury and the doctor needed to do a full examination." He said with a small grin as he tossed her the ribbon.

"Does anyone else know?" She asked while frantically tying the ribbon over her ears into her signature bow.

"Just the doctor, the nurses and myself obviously. Although your student profile has you listed as a Faunus, so I don't count myself. Given enough time I'm pretty sure people will find out." Alex commented.

"Look Alex, its…personal and I'd rather not discuss it." Blake hated to say that because Alex is a trustworthy guy, but with her past, she was afraid that might change. Alex believed in giving people second chances, but she didn't know if that view changed when it came to people who use to be a part of a newly designated terrorist organization.

"Fair enough. I won't pry because its none of my business. But I have to ask, don't you think it would be easier to wear a hat rather than a precariously placed bow?" Alex figured Blake was smart but seriously, a hat seems more practical than a bow in his opinion.

"Thank you. And yes, I did consider a hat, but the bow is more stylish." She embarrassingly replied while Alex rolled his eyes.

"Women." He muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He quickly replied. "Anyway, I won't say anything about your heritage." She gave him a thankful smile. "But you won't be able to hide it forever, especially from your team." He reminded her and Blake nodded in understanding.

"Again, thank you Alex. Maybe in time, I'll stop wearing this bow, but until that day, it stays." She said and Alex shrugged.

"Good to hear. Well before I go, I'll end on a lighter note; Greg made a comment that during our spar yesterday, you did pretty good. Considering you held out the longest and managed to get a couple of hits on him, I agree with his assessment." Alex commented.

"Thanks…I guess. It was different fighting without a weapon or using my semblance."

"Very difficult and outside of what you're used to?" Alex asked and Blake nodded.

"I felt completely defenseless. It took all my will power to not use my semblance against Greg." She remarked.

"That was the point of the exercise: to expose you to a new way of fighting, as well as testing your overall physical abilities." He explained.

"I guess we'll be learning how to fight like you guys then?"

"To an extent. It takes practice and firsthand experience to get on our level. You'll learn the basic fundamentals, alongside getting your bodies conditioned for prolonged fights."

"That sounds useful." She said in agreement." By the way, when I punched Greg in the chest, I hit something hard that hurt my hand. What was that anyway?" She asked, remembering how she almost broke her hand.

"You hit the ballistic plate in his vest." She gave him a curious glance that told him to continue. "Those vests we wear do more than carry extra ammo and supplies. It's actually body armor that protects us from bullets of most calibers, knife attacks and fragmentation from explosives like grenades. The vest itself can protect from small arms and knives, but put the ceramic plates in a they'll become more effective. Of course, with the plates in, the vest weighs a little over 30 lbs." He finished his explanation to Blake, who looked even more curious.

"Why would you wear something that heavy? Isn't your Aura enough to protect you?" Alex just looked at her like he was contemplating telling her something classified.

 _"Why not? Someone's bound to notice eventually."_ He thought to himself. "No, my Aura is not enough because myself and the rest of the guys don't have Auras." Blake was not expecting that as an answer.

"What?" Was all she could say.

"Yup. No Aura. No Semblance. People have tried to unlock it, but to no avail." Technically that was true. Goodwitch and Ozpin tried to see if they could unlock an Aura from the Russians, but like he told Blake, nothing happened. "If we'd let you guys use your weapons and full power, then you would've fucked us up really bad, if not kill us." He said with a smile.

"Then how are you guys even alive?" How do you fight without an Aura?" She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of not having an Aura.

"Highly disciplined training, good decision-making skills, knowing when to attack, catching the enemy off guard, and a little luck." He couldn't help smiling at that last one. "Also, you should ask yourself; 'How did guys with no Auras and Semblances kick our assess?' Keep in mind also that we have killed other people without an Aura, Semblance or even those fancy transforming weapons." He said matter of factly.

 _"That's right, they have. I guess that's why they wear all that gear. Still, no Aura?"_ She thought to herself.

"We don't charge head on like you guys normally do during a fight. We take out our foes from a distance or when they least expect it."

"I can only imagine what you guys would be like if you had an Aura." She commented. Honestly, Blake was now slightly frightened of Alex in terms of fighting. Considering his fighting experience, he had to have killed multiple people. And all without having an Aura?

"Yeah, it'd be nice, but whatever. We've made it this far without one."

"Well, why did you tell me this anyway? I'd think you'd want it kept as a secret?"

"You're right, I'd prefer you kept this between us at least. Consider this as a sign of trust, seeing as how I won't say anything about your heritage to your team." He held out his hand to her, and she shook it with a nod of agreement.

"I understand. Don't worry, I won't say anything about your lack of Aura. Or the fact that we had to hold back and handicap ourselves to fight you guys." Blake said with a smile. She normally didn't joke around, but the opportunity was there.

"Cute." Was his sarcastic reply. He suddenly felt a buzzing in his pocket and knew immediately it was Goodwitch calling, wondering where the hell he was. He knew he should answer it but he already knew she was going to yell at him, so he might as well wait until they were face to face. "Well Blake, I'm glad you're feeling better and I'd love to chat some more but Goodwitch is calling and I'm sure she's pissed, so I'd better get going."

"Alright Alex, I guess I'll see you next class then. Thanks for the talk." She said to him. As Alex got up to leave, he noticed the book by the window and reached to pick it up. He read the title, then looked back at Blake who was currently fixing her hair and didn't notice him.

"Ninjas of Love huh?" Blake immediately stopped what she was doing and her face suddenly turned red.

"I prefer my porn in the form of internet videos, but that's just me." He casually remarked as he tossed the book to Blake who caught it with ease. He gave her one last wave before he left to go get his ass chewed out by Goodwitch.

"It's not porn, it's art." Blake mumbled to no one in particular.

 **Goodwitch's office.**

"You're late. I would expect a military man to be punctual." Goodwitch berated.

"I went to check on Belladonna to make sure she was alright and that there were no hard feelings. Then she had some stuff she wanted to talk about and I stayed to listen. Sorry for caring about student welfare and being late." Alex replied in a sarcastic tone with a shit eating grin that could rival Nick's.

"A text explaining the situation would've been nice, but it's nice to see you do have a more caring side. Have a seat Mr. Volkov." Her tone was more understanding and relaxed as far as Alex could tell. Still it was difficult, but not impossible to gauge a strict, no nonsense professor like Glynda Goodwitch. She kind of reminded him of some the higher ups and officers he dealt with in the past. The way her office was set up reinforce his disposition of her. It wasn't as large as Ozpin's but it was still quite roomy. Like its main occupant, the office was very tidy and organized down to the paper clips on her desk. Everything had its place and yet despite the room having a radiance of professionalism, it still had traces of a feminine, personal touch. A vase with tulips in it and what looked like a collection of various teas on a shelf to be exact. Overall, this was defiantly an office that belonged to a deputy headmistress.

"Yes, well let's get this over with." He said while taking a seat. "I know you want to say something about me putting students in the infirmary and the content of my course, so let's hear it." He had a look of content on his face. It wouldn't be the first, nor the last time he's gotten an ass chewing from a superior. By now he's completely immune to yelling and insults directed towards him, so there is nothing Goodwitch can say that will phase him or catch him off guard.

"Actually, neither I or the Headmaster have anything to say about yesterday. If anything, you did a good job yesterday, even if your methods are…different to what we're used to." Okay, nothing except that.

"Really? We were just winging it based on stuff we were taught back on Earth. I just had to adjust for Remnant. But seriously, nothing about us sending students to the infirmary?" Alex questioned.

"We wouldn't have an infirmary if students didn't end up there from time to time, would we?" She replied. Alex wasn't sure, but he swore he saw a very subtle smile.

 _"Didn't know she had a sense of humor. I learn new things every day."_ He thought to himself.

"I'll admit the content you're teaching, while unpleasant, does show the students that being a Huntsman isn't as glamorous as it seems. Hopefully they'll realize the responsibilities Huntsman have to the protection of humanity." She stated to him.

"That's a very elegant way of saying 'protecting the innocent by killing all the bad guys.'" He said with a chuckle.

"Perhaps so. But sooner or later, they're going to have to grow up and face reality as it is." Alex found himself nodding in agreement to what she said.

"Alright, so why am I here exactly?" He asked to get the meeting under way.

"Professor Peach and her associates finished looking over your weapons and ammunition yesterday." She said in a neutral tone.

"Oh cool. Did they find anything useful or interesting?" He was wondering when they would finish their studies on their weapons and ammo. Apparently, Peach had to call in several outside sources to look over the non-Dust based munitions, specifically her contacts from Atlas. Fortunately, Ozpin had General Ironwood agree to keep the testing quiet and the results confidential between the two academy headmasters and the select few scientists.

"Her report was very lengthy and detailed, but I'll address the key points for you now and give you a copy of the report later." She explained as Alex gestured for her to continue. "Your main weapons, while simple in design and function compared to Remnant standards, tested to be on par with standard issued Atlesian Military armaments in terms of durability and reliance. Some of the soldiers even commented they liked the simplicity and the way it felt holding them." Goodwitch looked up and saw the grin on Alex's face.

"Yeah, those weapons were made the Russian way: Cheap, simple, durable, easy to use, easy to mass produce and highly effective." He explained, while Glynda nodded at his statement.

"Furthermore, they've broken down a handful of your ammunition to study the non-dust based properties." Alex sighed inwardly, knowing that they were low on ammo and those scientists were dissecting their already limited supply like nothing.

"I _really_ hope they found out something useful." Alex said with mild distain.

"You're in luck. The chemical composition used in the propellent of your ammunition, can possibly be replicated by combining certain Dusts and elements similar to what your powder is made from. However, Peach informed us that the process is very complicated and costly due to using rare elements that are hard to come by and the fact that combining those elements with dust is a delicate procedure that only the most skilled scientists can accomplish."

"There's always a tradeoff isn't there?" He said in a joking tone. "But if I heard you correctly, then it's possible for me and the guys are about to get a resupply, right?" Glynda answered with a nod.

"In limited quantities that measure out to enough for you and your squad." She answered.

"What about the other stuff like Nick's rockets, the grenades for my launcher, the explosives Ivan uses or the throwable grenades?"

"Same thing. From what was gathered, they determined they can also replicate those weapons, albeit in small amounts. But there is something else you should be aware of." Alex noticed she had a slight look of concern on her face.

"What is it?"

"While testing your weapons, there were some…injuries amongst the researchers." Alex looked at Glynda with a look that said, "are you serious?"

"What did they do, shoot themselves?" He couldn't help but laugh as he asked that.

"In a way they did." She replied and Alex stopped laughing.

"What the hell were they doing?" He asked, changing to a serious disposition.

"Well seeing as how you've proven that your weapons are effective against Grimm, they wanted to test it against Dust ammunition on Human opponents." Alex couldn't believe what he just heard.

"You mean they couldn't use a ballistic gel target or…literally anything else than a live person?" Glynda only shrugged.

"In case you're wondering the man is okay…as well as the others who got hurt."

"Others?" He asked in confusion.

"There was a total of 10 injuries involved during the testing and research." Glynda answered in her normal tone. Unlike Alex, she got over the initial shock due to the fact that she and Ozpin read the report firsthand before this meeting. But still, 10 injuries are a lot.

"Seriously, what the fuck happened?"

"There were seven injuries involving using your firearms, two involved using one of the rocket tubes Mr. Stepanov uses, and one involving one of those incendiary grenades." Alex rubbed his temples trying to comprehend how any of that was possible.

"And people say Atlas has the best scientists on Remnant? On Earth, if for some reason someone got hurt, we stop the testing… usually. But we don't do it 10 more times until we decide that maybe these weapons are dangerous." He wasn't even trying to hide his sarcasm.

"I agree with you on that, but the most important find was discovered through these injuries: your weapons broke through Aura, as if it wasn't there." That was something he wasn't expecting.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not too sure about the exact science behind it, but something about the chemical reactions and the physics of your weapons makes them powerful enough to break Auras. It also means you four have introduced very dangerous weapons to Remnant and in the wrong hands, can possibly lead to its destruction." That might have been an exaggeration, but Alex got the point.

"Uh, whoops?" It was all he could say considering he and the guys had inadvertently changed the game of fighting. "But to be fair, we didn't come here on purpose." He said trying to defend themselves.

"Of course, you're not to blame. Atlas has been toying with the idea of making weapons that negate the effects of Aura and it was only a matter of time before they made it. All you did was accelerate their progress." She assured to Alex.

"Still, it feels like we did a bad thing you know? The chances of us ending up on here on Remnant was like a 100 trillion to one chance and in the short time we've been here, we've already brought technology that can kill you guys easier. It's like we fucked up the universal time line or something."

"You shouldn't worry too much about it. They're still too far away from mass production and making these 'Aura piercers' readily available. Right now, all they can do is make just enough to resupply you and the others, and even then, I have no doubt they will be heavily regulated." That last part didn't sit too well with Alex.

"Trust me when I say that just because something is heavily regulated, doesn't mean it won't somehow end up in the wrong hands. Law abiding citizens will follow regulation laws, but the bad guys who already don't follow laws, will find a way to get their hands on this stuff. Just some food for thought." He pointed out to her, while she nodded in understanding.

"Believe me, you're not the only one with these concerns. Myself and the Headmaster have addressed our concerns involving this matter to General Ironwood, but he assures us that only a handful of his most trusted personnel have access to the information and that the rest of Kingdom has absolutely no idea about anything transpiring. As much as we disagree, we're going to have to take his word for it and only hope for the best." She sounded a little less confident with that answer.

"Very well, it's not like I have any authority over a General." He joked to lighten the mood. Just like back on Earth, he respected the chain of command and the authority of those ranked above him. He may have his concerns or reservations about things, but good soldiers follow orders. They don't question them and they will carry them out to the best of their abilities.

"In any case, your weapons will be back here by tonight with a shipment of replicated ammunition to offset your dwindling supply. In addition, they provided Professor Peach with the specifications to craft more munitions from pistol rounds, to those rocket tubes and everything in between, so you can go to her if you require more." That was music to his ears. Well, except for one thing.

"I thought you said that it was an expensive process that only the best can accomplish?"

"Professor Peach is one of the most accomplished minds on Remnant, so she can easily work the process. As for the costs, you'll have to take a pay cut if you want a steady supply." Considering they were staying at Beacon rent free, with unlimited access to all of its services and now a steady supply of ammo, a pay cut was worth it.

"Fair enough. We already bought the necessary stuff we needed like clothes and hygiene gear. _And the unnecessary, stupid stuff like a beer fridge and an inflatable hot tub._ It's also not the first time we've dealt with a pay cut, so I think we can manage." Glynda just gave a satisfied nod.

"Very good. Now I shouldn't have to say this, but please refrain from using your weapons against the students. Considering you can actually do major harm." She said in a more serious tone.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't waste a bullet on them. Besides, verbal and physical abuse is more than enough to keep these kids in line." He half joked.

"So long as you don't make it a habit of sending students to the infirmary, you're free to do as you please. But do remember that they're still young." Goodwitch said as she walked over to the door, indicating that the meeting was concluded.

"I'll do my best." He said as he stood up to leave her office. "And thank you for the relaying this information to me."

"You're welcome." And just like that the meeting was over.

 _"In and out, just like that."_ Alex thought.

 **Beacon fitness center: later that evening.**

The rest of the day was rather uneventful for Alex and the gang. The classes they teach for the third and fourth years are shorter and more condensed than the first and second years due to the constant field work they do and the notion that a third or fourth year should be in prime physical condition. Even though they only need to do the lectures and learn basic techniques, some of them have opted to take the first and second year course as an elective to get a more in-depth lecture and to participate in the training exercises they heard about. Whether it's because they thought it sounded fun or whatever reason, Alex didn't mind. If anything, he's glad the students found their course interesting. After class, Alex and the gang usually hit up the gym. After all, if you want to talk the talk about physical conditioning, you better walk the walk.

"Okay, tell me again how those 'geniuses' hurt themselves?" Greg asked while he was spotting for Nick at the bench.

"From what was in the report, the seven guys who got shot were either trying to dodge the bullets, block them with their weapons, block with their Aura's and Semblance's or in one guy's case, got hit when a bullet shot through a wall." Alex responded before starting a set of rows.

"What about the other three?" Ivan asked as jumped down from the pullup bars.

"The RPG incident was actually a double whammy. A guy was standing behind the rocket and got hit with the back blast and the guy who was firing wasn't expecting the recoil and shot the rocket into the safety tower, knocking it down with the range safety officer in it." Alex said with a chuckle. Everyone else laughed and shook their heads at the same time.

"Fucking noobs." Nick said, finishing his set and racking the bar.

"And the last one?" Greg asked.

"The woman was at the grenade range testing one of the incendiary grenades, and it slipped out of her hand as she was throwing it… and I think you guys can guess what happened." Alex explained.

"It hit the brim and exploded next to her. I've seen that happen with training grenades, but not the real thing." Greg said, filling in the blanks and Alex nodded.

"Her Aura didn't do shit to protect her. Those chemicals burned through it like nothing. She's lucky to be alive." Alex said, recalling the report. "But as fucked up as it sounds, we at least now know that we have a fighting chance if shit hits the fan."

"It makes sense considering we don't have Auras and Semblances. Guess it's a way to balance everything out. Plus, the added advantage that almost no one knows about our… predicament could be handy." Greg commented while setting up for his set on the bench.

"Just remember, we have to keep track of our shit. Last thing we need is someone running around with 'Aura piercing' rounds and what not." Alex reminded the gang, who nodded in response.

"Don't worry man. We may lose all our money at strips clubs or lose count of how many drinks we've had, but one thing we don't do is lose track of our weapons or ammo." Nick reassured Alex, who was about to berate him but remembered he was guilty of both those vices, so he settled for a light chuckle.

"It's not like we're going to have a lot of money to go to strips clubs anymore." Ivan commented, referring to the pay cut they'll be receiving.

"Don't worry guys, we still have enough for pudding wrestling night at the Voluptuous Vixen this weekend." Greg said as he lied down on the bench. The Voluptuous Vixen was Vale's finest gentleman's club, home to the hottest ladies in the kingdom. Human or Faunus, it doesn't matter, they don't discriminate. All are welcome to have a good time, and the four Russians, always have a good time there.

"I got my money on the doubles round: Sugar and Cherry v. Cinnamon and Honey. God, it's going to be beautiful." Nick said with enthusiasm as he prepared to spot for Greg.

"I'm looking forward to Crystal v. Lola." Alex commented while starting another set of rows.

"Lola's that rabbit Faunus, right?" Ivan asked from the top of the pull up bars.

"Yeah, I got a lap dance from her and let me just say, those Faunus strippers are… something else." Alex replied.

"Dude, I know what you mean!" Nick exclaimed. "Either they try harder or I suddenly developed a furry fetish." He shuddered at that last part.

"Fuck, it better be because they try harder!" Alex almost yelled, but remembered there were other people in the gym.

"Guys relax. Other than the animal traits, Faunus are anatomically, and physiologically the same as humans down to the molecular level. Women are women. Just think of it like getting a dance from an Asian or Hispanic girl or someone from outside your ethnic background. The allure of the exotic is very powerful." Greg explained with his intellectual side.

"Is that why the Faunus strippers were better than the human strippers?" Nick asked.

"Well maybe they wanted to show off to human client's that Faunus women are just as good as human women?" Ivan asked, trying to answer.

"Ending discrimination, one lap dance at a time. God bless them." Nick almost shed a tear at the thought as everyone shared a laugh. Alex meanwhile was trying to figure out how they went from talking about weapons that can break Aura to talking about strippers so quickly.

"What are you guys laughing about?" The four looked up to see the forms of Coco, minus her beret, and Velvet looking at them with quizzical smiles.

"We're just laughing at what a weak bitch Greg is." Nick joked to divert from the previous topic of strippers.

"Who's the faster runner again?" Greg retorted while Nick scoffed.

"I'm surprised you two have the strength to work out. You guys did go for an eight-mile run yesterday." Alex pointed out.

"Oh please, that was nothing." Coco replied in a confident tone. Alex however, just cocked an eyebrow at her trying to act tough. He knew she was feeling it, plus the look of surprise on Velvet's face blew her cover.

"Oh really? Well then I guess we need to step it up." It was amusing to watch Coco's normal confident face, do a complete flip. It didn't really suit her in Alex's opinion.

"Alright fine, it sucked, me and Velvet are sore and we're here to do a light workout so our muscles don't become too stiff." Coco said in a defeated tone.

"At least you guys didn't fall out of the run like half the class or threw up at the end like Arc and a handful of others." Greg commented. Just as the Russians expected, the students had difficulties keeping up on a long-distance run. It was at a relatively slow pace over flat even ground, yet many students still fell out. No matter, they'll get stronger over time.

"Don't worry, it won't be all running in the future. Some of the exercises are actually fun." Alex added.

"Tell that to the blisters on my feet." Coco said in an annoyed tone.

"Or the shin splints I have." Velvet added.

"Shin splints will clear up in a few days. As for blisters, try wearing more comfortable shoes and avoid wearing heels." Alex explained to the girls. Seriously, every girl in class wore heels and are wondering why their feet hurt so bad.

"Trust me, we've learned our lesson. We're coming prepared for your next class by dressing more comfortably like we are now." Coco gave a little pose to show off their athletic attire that did its best to show off their…assets.

 _"Remember guys, they're students and we're teachers."_ Alex mentally told himself and the other guys. It was already hard enough being surrounded by young attractive girls in a school and not being able to…get to know them better, but recently they've noticed that a number of the female students in all grades, have been giving them looks both in and outside of class. The looks ranged from cute and flustered, to playful and flirty, all the way to lustful and full of desire. The Russians did their best to pay them no heed, but they were guys after all. Still they were highly disciplined, knew the rules about fraternization between students and teachers, and weren't about to risk their jobs for a little action.

"That's good to hear, hopefully everyone else dresses more appropriately for class." Ivan replied. Of course, the way Coco and Velvet were dressed, was anything but appropriate. Coco was wearing a tank top that showed off her developed figure and had her well-toned mid-section exposed, while wearing short-shorts that left little to the imagination. Velvet was a little more modest, but not by much. Her top, while not as revealing as Coco's, hugged her body tightly to remind everyone that she was indeed a young woman and the leggings she wore only complimented her slender legs and toned-shapely thighs. Again, Alex and the gang were professionals when it came to the relationships with their students. But still, sometimes things got hard. No pun intended.

"I think we'll have to if we want to get on your guy's level. Seriously, you guys didn't even look tired yesterday." Velvet commented.

"It takes time to get where we are, but the results are worth it." Alex responded in reference to their physical strength and stamina.

"I'll say. You guys defiantly have the physique to prove it. Right Velvet?" Coco said in a playful tone, while eyeing the Russians up and down, while very subtly licking her lips.

"Um… yeah." Velvet shyly answered. She quickly turned away to hide her blushing face and the forming smile.

 _"I expected better from those two. Okay, I expected better from Velvet at least."_ Alex thought. Coco came off as a causal flirt in Alex's opinion, but the way she was looking over everyone, particularly himself, could be compared to an animal cornering its prey. Then again, maybe she really is just screwing with him and if that's the case, then she plays the part of the hormonal schoolgirl very well. Velvet on the other hand, well there's no doubt in Alex's mind that her shy and reserved personality equated to her not having much experience with the opposite sex. And while there was nothing wrong with her starting to gain said experience with guys, did it really have to be Alex and the gang? They weren't even in anything that showed off their muscles. Loose T-shirts and regular shorts was literally what they were wearing and yet the girls in the gym, not just Coco and Velvet, were staring at the Russians while they pretended not to notice. _"Whatever, it's not like anything is going to happen. Besides, even if things were different, they can do so much better than any of us. Especially Velvet."_

"Flirting with the teachers isn't going to help your grades, but thank you for the compliments." Nick said in response to Coco, who merely shrugged.

"Eh, worth a shot." She replied.

"Well, we're about done here, so we'll let you two ladies' workout in peace." Greg said as he racked his weights.

"Aww. Don't you want to watch us stretch out first?" Coco teased. As much as they would, they knew better.

"We've got to prepare for next weeks' classes. Besides, we smell like sweaty ball sack and I doubt you'd enjoy that." Alex joked right back.

"Oh fine. I guess we'll see you guys later." Coco and Velvet waved their goodbyes at the Russians, who returned the gesture as they left the gym. As they were leaving, the guys got a decent view from one of the mirrors of Coco and Velvet reaching down to touch their toes and the wonderful sight of their fine posteriors.

"So. Coco and Velvet. Would you guys…" Nick started to ask but was interrupted by the other's answering 'yes' at the same time. "Alright, just checking to make sure I wasn't the only one." As they were walking back to their room, Alex felt his scroll buzz and looked to see a notification from the Vale news network.

"Oh shit." He said out loud.

"What's up?" Greg asked.

"A passenger flight from Vale to Atlas crashed 20 miles off the coast of Atlas." Alex responded.

"Damn. Any survivors?" Nick asked in a serious tone.

"Atlas authorities are saying it's not likely." Alex read from the scroll in hand.

"Was it a large flight?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, over 300 people." Alex answered.

"Fuck." Greg replied.

"The fucked-up part is that the fishing boat that witnessed the crash and called it in, said they saw explosions go off internally before it went down." Alex said as he continued to read the article.

"So, it wasn't an accident then." Greg concluded.

"It's not confirmed yet, but both Kingdoms are not ruling this out as a terrorist attack. If that's the case, then this is the largest one to date." Alex replied.

"What do you guys think?" Ivan asked the group.

"I think shit's about to hit the fan." Nick answered while everyone nodded in agreement.

"Some things never change." Alex deadpanned.

 **Undisclosed location**

"That asset we have operating in Vale certainly knows how to tie up loose ends." A man said with amusement.

"Not only that, but now both the White Fang and ANTIFA are both taking responsibility for the attack as a 'show of their might.'" Another person addressed.

"Even better, the Atlas council is blaming Vale for not taking precautions to prevent the tragedy while the Vale council blames Atlas's policies that led to escalation of these attacks." A third one spoke.

"Just in time for the Vytal festival and Ironwood's arrival." The second person said.

"Nevertheless, she knows what needs to be done in the coming weeks correct?" A final fourth person asked.

"Yes, Ms. Fall knows the next phase and is already getting the pieces into play." The third person said.

"She's proven to be a valuable asset for our cause. Maybe there's room for her in our ranks?" The first spoke.

"Perhaps, but we must wait for the rest of the order to make that decision. Until then, we shall observe her progress." The fourth answered.

"Very well. If anything, I look forward to this year's festival." The second said as the other three nodded in agreement.

"We've been waiting a long time for this. A very, very long time." The third person spoke.

 **A/N: If you want to discuss my logic on anything, I'd prefer you PM me instead of filling up the review section. Or do what you want, I really don't care. Just know that I can usually respond within 24 hours.**

 **I'm going to try to at least update once a month. I have the story pretty much planned out to the end. Now I just have to put it on paper.**

 **You guys are awesome and until then,**

 **Hawk out**


	10. Chapter 10

**California is the worst state to live in. Change my mind.**

 **I own nothing except OC's**

Chapter 10: Meeting new people

 **Beacon Cafeteria**

"I don't care who the fuck started it, but this cafeteria is going be spotless by noon. Do I make myself clear?" Alex's tone was forceful and commanding, causing teams RWBY and JNPR to quickly scatter to find janitorial gear, lest they face Alex's wrath. As the kids left, he turned to see Ozpin and Goodwitch approaching with amused expressions on their faces.

"Well, you certainly have a way with the students. You're starting to give Glynda a run for her money." Ozpin joked.

"I'll admit, I am enjoying the spare time from disciplinary action, even if it's used to catch up on paperwork." Glynda remarked.

"I understand they're young and need to have a little fun once in a while, but destroying the cafeteria that everyone uses is not the way to do it." Alex commented while the two professors looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I seem to recall that you and your friends did much worse back in Russia." Ozpin commented, referring to the video feeds.

"True, but we did that stupid stuff after working hours and in private. There's also the fact that it didn't inconvenience others…normally. Besides, we were young and dumb, and learned the hard way that actions do have consequences. All four of us have had at least one incident where we almost lost rank." Alex pointed out.

"Do you care to elaborate?" Ozpin asked, curious about what the Russians did.

"You see I would, but I'd rather keep this job." Alex explained, earning a chuckle from Ozpin and a very, very subtle grin from Glynda.

"Still, I can clean the cafeteria with my Semblance much quicker than the students." Glynda commented, but Alex was already shaking his head.

"And teach them that this behavior is acceptable because someone else will take care of it.? Yeah, right. 'Oh, we trashed the school? It's all good. Professor Goodwitch can clean it up. It's not like she has anything better to do with her time. It's not like we have to be held accountable for our actions, right?'" Ozpin and Glynda were amused by his sarcastic mocking tone. Alex may have exaggerated, but he wasn't completely wrong when it came to the attitude of the student body. "Someone has to let these kids know that being a Huntsman is more than just being able to swing around a weapon to kill Grimm. It's a major responsibility to this world. They're entrusted with keeping peace and order, while protecting us from Grimm and other dangers. And with that trust, they also have a responsibility to be seen as a moral authority on making the right choices. In order for that to happen, they need to demonstrate their overall knowledge of the world and most importantly, show that the have the _maturity_ to uphold that standard and make sound decisions." Alex stressed the word "maturity" as he motioned around to the aftermath of RWBY and JNPR's food fight.

"Finally, someone understands!" Glynda couldn't help but blurt out her excitement. It was exhausting being the only one who understood the importance of order and discipline, not to mention being the de facto disciplinary officer of Beacon that strained her already heavy workload. But then Alex and the gang enters the scene and suddenly things change: Students are more polite and respectful, and the school grounds are cleaner and more organized. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere that radiated the order and discipline that she tried to maintain in Beacon, and yet it was still warm and welcoming compared to say, Atlas academy. The best of both worlds, thanks to Alex and his friends.

She'll never say it out loud, but she has developed a certain admiration and respect for the Russians. Even Nick. The way they've quickly grown accustomed to being on Remnant and how they're helping train the next generation of Huntsmen with new tactics, was a testament to their overall character and adaptability. That same level of respect also extended to the other teachers, as well as the students, with the exception that it was mixed with an equal amount of fear. In the past, Glynda only needed to give students "the look" and they would immediately fall in line, and only in rare occasions would she administer punishment. Of course, like anything in life, it doesn't last forever. An endless cycle of empty threats and disciplinary actions that had no lasting effects, ended when Alex entered the scene. It ranged from berating students verbally to pointless monotonous work that had no real value, all the way to physical discipline that would be considered border-line hazing. She felt bad for chuckling when he referred to it as "team building exercises", but it was a clever interpretation that she found humorous.

Meanwhile, Ozpin and Alex were looking at Glynda with mild surprise, seeing as how she didn't seem like the type to drop her bearing. She quickly cleared her throat and regained her composure when she noticed the looks she was receiving.

"Ahem. What I mean is that I'm glad someone agrees on how future Huntsmen should present themselves." Glynda explained, returning to her stern professor persona.

"I see what you're saying Alex, but at the end of the day, they're still children. Why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever." Of course, Alex wasn't going to disagree with what Ozpin said. He would have loved to go back and be a kid again, and maybe do things differently. However, life isn't that kind and sometimes you have no choice but to grow up. Embrace the suck.

"Still, it's a good idea to remind them that..." He stopped mid-sentence when he glanced over to RWBY and JNPR. "Okay, I guess I said take your fucking time, right?!" Alex shouted, causing the teens the jump in surprise.

"This stuff isn't coming out." Ruby whined while trying to scrub away something sticky off the floor.

"Well you better figure it out." Alex replied, showing no sympathy.

"It's going to take us all day to clean this place up." Yang moaned.

"You have until noon."

"But what if we don't finish in time?" Jaune asked.

"I wouldn't be thinking like that if I were you. But if you must know, then we're going to have some 'fun' and play a few 'games'." Jaune did not like the way he used the words "fun" and "games".

"Games? I like games!" Nora replied with glee.

"Nora, I don't think you and Sgt. Volkov are on the same page when it comes to fun and games." Ren explained to the excitable girl.

"Listen to your partner Valkyrie, you do not want to play the games I have in mind." Alex gave Nora a very unsettling grin as he maintained eye contact with her. She had a blank expression on her face as she nodded and went back to sweeping up broken plates. No arguments, no random bursts of energy, no random off tangent remarks. Nothing. Just a very docile and submissive Nora. No one thought it was possible, but Alex did it: he got Nora Valkyrie to stand down. The look of surprise on everyone's faces spoke for themselves.

"Well we can't be here all-day cleaning, we do have classes to go to." Weiss commented, trying for a last-ditch effort to skate out of cleaning up the mess they caused.

"I can always excuse you from your other classes for 'additional training' and let your other teachers assign make up work that you can complete on your own time." Alex looked over his shoulder to see both Glynda and Ozpin give an affirmative nod. He wasn't sure if he could actual do that, but it turns out he can. Good to know. "Now, does anyone else have something say? Nikos, Belladonna?" Both girls shook their heads. "Alright then, get to it." The eight teens went back to cleaning up the mess while Alex turned back to continue the conversation with the two professors.

"Anyway, you were saying?" Glynda asked, picking up from where they left off.

"Right. I was saying it's a good idea to remind them that when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes." Alex replied in a more casual tone.

"You know Alex, if you ever get tired of being a combat instructor, we could maybe find you a position in the counseling department as an official disciplinary officer." Ozpin said. He, like Glynda developed a respect for the Russians as well. Another reasoned he liked having them around was that he enjoyed having someone around who had a different way of thinking. It was a nice change of pace from say, Ironwood who normally challenged Ozpin's choices. Alex, in contrast, looked at a problem from a different angle that normally gets overlooked and helps come up with the best possible solution. In fact, he even invited Alex to join in on staff meetings, effectively making him part of the senior staff alongside Port, Oobleck, Peach and Glynda respectfully. Alex might be young, but he has seen and experienced more in a short time, than most people have in a lifetime.

"Thanks, but I'll stick with my current position." Alex replied.

"Offer is on the table. Now on to business, are you and the other's ready for tomorrow?" Ozpin asked, switching conversation topics.

"Yes, we're ready to work security for the arrival of the transfer students." Alex replied. Ever since Atlas flight 117 went down in what has been ruled as a terrorist attack, there has been a wave of panic and fear spreading throughout all of Remnant. Obviously, this led to a spike in Grimm activity that the Kingdoms anticipated would follow such a tragic event. The Grimm were easily dealt with, but what the Kingdoms weren't ready for was the public outcry concerning safety against internal threats. The downed airship was the final straw for the people, and now they demand action. Long story short, the Kingdoms have stepped up security measures to hopefully prevent another attack. Of course, they still haven't made any notion to actively hunt down and engage known terrorists or the cells they operate from. But at least it's a start.

Beacon academy was no exception. In certain scenarios, the council can override Ozpin's authority when it comes to public safety and this is one of those instances. In anticipation for the arrival of the large group of transfer students for the Vytal festival, a contingent of police and security units were being sent to Beacon to "greet" the new arrivals. Their orders were to take count and create a log of all who enter the Kingdom, on top of verifying their identities via their student ID's and official passports from their respective Kingdoms. In addition, the three schools also provided an official registry of the students they were sending to Vale, as per request of the Vale council. With this information, they'll know exactly who's entering the Kingdom and be able to keep track. The only exception was the Atlesian military personnel, as the council didn't have any jurisdiction over General Ironwood.

"I can't thank you enough helping out with tomorrow. I'll be sure to allot you four some extra vacation time." Ozpin was not happy with the idea of treating students like potential threats, especially during a festival that commemorates peace and unity. It almost contradicts why the Vytal festival is celebrated. But even he understood why these precautions were being done. After all, he himself said the world is changing. Ozpin reluctantly agreed to the council's wishes, with the exception that his staff would oversee the operation and that the security forces must abide by their orders and disperse once everything is taken care of. Luckily, the council agreed. With that taken care of, Ozpin knew exactly who he wanted to be running the show when the students arrive.

"Thank you. But seriously, it's no trouble considering we've done stuff like this before." Alex replied.

"And that's the reason why you four will be supervising tomorrow." Ozpin responded.

"Don't forget, General Ironwood will be arriving tomorrow as well. He says he looks forward to meeting you all." Glynda added. Alex couldn't care either way.

"Not sure what he's expecting from us. We're literally going tell him the same stuff we told you guys and show him the helmet camera footage. If he's trying to get new information from us, he might be slightly disappointed." Alex replied.

"Why is that?" Ozpin asked.

"We may be special forces with more training and different missions compared to regular soldiers, but at the end of the day, we're still grunts at the bottom of the food chain. All the stuff we told you and saw on the videos, was us following orders from people way above us. We have no clue how they determine what takes precedence in combat missions. And even then, we go in based on intelligence that gets recovered from agencies that are again, way above our paygrade. They basically point, and we go in and complete the mission. How it gets accomplished is the only thing we have control over." Alex explained.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. We've already told him a little bit about you four and your role here. He's well aware of the situation and has enough sense to refrain from probing or phishing. I think he just wants to talk." Glynda commented. Alex wasn't convinced however.

"The last time someone just wanted to talk, I got kicked out of my house by my own parents and pretty much got disowned. Although in hindsight, I had it coming." Alex replied. As fucked up as it is, Alex was glad that it happened. If it wasn't for that moment, he wouldn't have turned his life around for the better and be where he is now… even if it's another universe.

"James may be blunt, stubborn and arrogant at times, but his heart is in the right place and he's always shown his loyalty to the people of Remnant. He, alongside Glynda and myself go way back, and we trust him to make the right decisions." Ozpin reassured him.

"Well if you guys trust him, then that's good enough for me." Alex replied. Honestly, he wasn't worried about anything. With all the stuff that happened to them, all they can do is grab a drink and deal with whatever life throws at them.

"You know, that's another thing I like about you guys. That 'go with the flow' attitude you all have. I'm not sure how to phrase this but it just makes things easier." Glynda remarked while Ozpin nodded in agreement. Alex just shrugged.

"It's gotten us this far in life, so why change it now? Anyway, I'll take care of things down here and let you two get on your way." Ozpin and Glynda nodded and started to make their way to the exit, knowing Alex can handle things.

"Remember, the police forces will be here tomorrow at five in the morning to set up before the transfers arrive." Ozpin said.

"We'll be there." Alex replied. Making sure those two were out of ear shot, he cursed out loud about waking up early tomorrow. He looked up to see RWBY and JNPR giving him confused looks. "That doesn't look like cleaning!" He shouted as the teens scrambled back to the task at hand.

Another lesson for future Huntsman to learn: On some occasions, it's better to mind your own fucking business.

 **Beacon Docks: The next day 0945**

If there was a choice of words to describe the current state of the docks, they would be "fucking bullshit."

Approximately 40 officers from the Vale metropolitan police department arrived early in the morning to meet the Russians and set up for the day. Three lanes were set up with signs that separated the students by their respective schools followed by additional security measures that were in place. As soon as students set foot on the docks, they immediately had to go to their school's lane and present both a school ID and official passport to the officer, where they will scan them into a system to validate their authenticity in addition to verifying with the registries the schools sent over. That was step one.

Step two is they have their luggage sent through an x-ray and an additional search by an officer. From here, they also get their weapons checked in and logged in the system alongside any Dust and additional equipment they may carry. While that's happening, the students themselves go through a metal detector after completely emptying their pockets. After that, they get pulled to the side for a full pat-down and one more search. For obvious reasons, both male and female officers will be present.

From there, they go on to the last step, which can be thought of as an informal interview. Both Alex and Ozpin however, agreed it seemed more akin to an interrogation. The students are separated from their teammates and talk one on one with an officer out of earshot from the other's. Using the information gathered from the scanned ID's, the "interviewer" simply goes through and makes sure they are who they say they are. They verify their names, date of birth, where they come from, team name, physical description, Semblance, weapons they use and everything else in between. Once the information is gathered, they take their biometrics and enter it into the system, alongside their personal data. Besides, after jumping through all those hoops, why not get their fingerprints and retinas scanned in while they're at it? Finally, after _all_ of that, they get issued a temporary Vale ID and visa for the duration of the festival, and can finally go on about their business into Beacon where the staff will help them find their rooms and get settled in.

Now, Alex and the gang we're accustomed to going through security checks, considering they've had to in the past, but even they felt the extent that was going into this operation was absurd. For fucks sake, it's a school, not a Goddamn top-secret missile base or something. Not only did they have to go through these ridiculous procedures the Vale council came up with, but the whole academy had to be locked down as well. No one leaves, no one gets in unless it's through the entry control point at the docks. Even with the Russian in charge, they still had to follow the instructions of the council unless Beacon wanted to face legal repercussions, leaving them no choice but to comply.

But with how annoying it is here at Beacon, everyone knew it was going to be worse when the festival gets into full swing. When vendors and festival goers enter Vale, they're going to be met with the same thing the students are going through. The police department already said they're going to be out in full force and are even calling in licensed Huntsmen to act as auxiliary police with possible hints at using fourth year students as well. This knee-jerk reaction is not limited to Vale, but the other Kingdoms as well. And yet, some people are already asking, is it worth it? Is it worth having personal details collected and being under constant watch, just to feel safe? Only time can tell.

Alex sighed inwardly at everything going on around him. Everything was moving far too slow for his liking. It was already bad enough waking up stupid early, but sadly he knew their day was far from over. The students arrived at 9, and yet they weren't even a quarter of the way through processing them all. Alex was standing over by the interrogation section where he can have a decent view of everything going on. He looked over and saw Ivan supervising the ID checks, while Nick was over by the luggage search station, both looking incredibly bored. Unlike the others, Greg was out of sight, hidden up high on a vantage point providing over watch. From his position, he has a perfect view of everything going on and will be the first to react if shit goes down… not that anything should go down.

Greg was in his basic uniform while wearing his balaclava and lying in a prone position in the shadows to stay hidden. He used the scope on his rifle to continuously scan the area, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Alongside his rifle, he also had his pistol, some snacks, water, and a radio to call the other guys if he sees something. The other three were also in their basic uniform, wearing their assault vests and armed with only their pistols, but now wore two new articles of clothing that were both iconic and more presentable and welcoming rather than full combat gear: The Telnyashka undershirt and the sky-blue beret. It wasn't hard finding a company that does custom orders for the shirts and berets, but finding someone to make the badges that go on the beret, that was the hard part. Lucky for them, Coco has a vast network of connections within Vale's fashion industry, so finding someone to make the badges was no problem. The explanation she got when she asked about the items was that it reminded them of home. Knowing it was a touchy subject, she dropped the conversation on the spot. Like a lot of things said so far, it wasn't a complete lie. In situations like today, wearing the sky-blue beret would help identifying each other in a large crowd easier. Of course, there was some sentimental value, considering they worked hard to earn their place in the VDV and later Spetsnaz GRU, and the sky-blue beret was a good reminder of that dedication. Plus, they kind of miss wearing them, so there's that too.

Alex took a drag of his cigarette as he once again scanned the crowd of students and cops. Smoking wasn't permitted on campus, but he was technically at the docks so jokes on them. Besides, it's not like anyone would confront Alex or any of the Russians about it. Funny how that works. He saw some familiar faces of students that arrived earlier in the week, but still had to go through the motions with the rest of their teams. Over at the interrogation tables were "monkey boy who can't button a shirt" and his friend "blue haired pretty boy" that he saw the other day with what appears to be the other members of their team. He chuckled inwardly at the nicknames "emo pirate" and "token black guy" he gave for the rest of team SSSN. After all, when you're bored, you need to entertain yourself somehow. Then there was that weird girl from Atlas. Alex had no clue what her deal was, but her mannerisms and the way she talked was almost…robotic in a way. He wondered if everyone from Atlas was weird like her, but his thoughts were interrupted by a radio call from Ivan.

" _Hey Alex, we have a situation at the ID check in."_ Ivan called from his end.

"I'm on my way." Alex replied. He threw his cigarette into a half-filled water bottle and started to make his way to the front end of the docks. Personally, he was glad something was happening to alleviate the boredom. As he got closer, he took notice of Ivan and two officers crowding around three students from what looks like Haven academy and having a heated argument with each other. Alex knew he better take care of this before things get stupid.

" _I got your six."_ Greg radioed to Alex. As soon as he saw Alex heading towards Ivan, he knew he better keep an eye on the area.

"Alright that's enough, I'll take it from here. You two can go back to work." Alex ordered to the officers who simply nodded at him. "Now what seems to be the problem?" He did a quick look over of the Haven students to see what he was dealing with and was already getting bad vibes from them. The gray-haired guy looked like a fucking tool, while the dark skinned, green haired girl looked like a total bitch who pretends to be nice, but he wasn't interested in them. It was the third girl, who is presumably the leader, that had his attention. Although she was anything but a "girl" with those long legs and nice curves on a toned figure that complemented an equally beautiful face. She's the living embodiment of the saying "if looks can kill." But as sexy as she is, it's that confident and focused attitude that seemed to radiate off her, that drew Alex's attention. And it was that same attitude she projected that told Alex he should watch out for her.

"The systems not registering their ID's or passports, on top of the fact that they're not even on the list from Haven academy." Ivan explained to Alex.

"Well that's going to be a problem." He said to the three, stating the obvious with a mocking tone. While the other two just rolled their eyes, looking unimpressed, the leader was unusually calm, with a deceptively sweet smile on her face.

"If I may, this is just a misunderstanding with the paperwork." Like her face, the way she spoke was frighteningly beautiful. A dangerous combination.

"Care to explain?" Alex asked, with a cocked eyebrow.

"It's clear that Headmaster Lionheart sent in the wrong registry that had us listed. He's so forgetful sometimes." Cinder said with the utmost confidence.

"That's a pretty convenient explanation. Even if it is true, that doesn't explain why we can't scan your ID's in." Alex pointed out. Red flags were popping up all over with these three.

"Hey, maybe your scanner is jacked up." Mercury said with a smug grin.

"Sure, it's been working fine so far, so it only makes sense for it to break down right as your team arrives. Speaking of which, there's only three of you. Where's your fourth member?" Alex was growing more and more suspicious about these guys. It's like they were trying to make it obvious that they're trouble.

"She had a family emergency to take care of, so she'll be arriving later." Emerald answered with fakest smile Alex had ever seen.

"You know, it seems like you guys are having a bad day. I mean, your ID's won't scan, you're not on Haven's registry and your fourth member has a family emergency to take care of." Alex made his sarcastic skepticism obvious. And yet the three of them looked unfazed.

"I know, it's just awful." Mercury replied.

*sniff*. "Smell that Ivan?" Alex asked Ivan, who was standing by observing the situation.

"What is it?" He replied, knowing the gag.

"Smells like bullshit." Alex answered will maintaining direct eye contact with Cinder.

"Ah, that's what that is." Ivan answered in a playful tone. Meanwhile, Emerald and Mercury showed subtle signs of tensing up, while Cinder remained calm as ever.

"Look, I don't know what you three are doing, but I know what you're not going to do and that's entering Beacon." Alex's tone was firm and forceful while still maintaining contact with Cinder's amber eyes.

"Oh, come now, all we need to do is contact Headmaster Lionheart and we'll be able to straighten this all out" Cinder's spoke with that sultry tone that's helped her out in the past in addition to a little lick of her lips for good measure.

"Yeah, not happening. If you three would kindly follow me…" Alex was interrupted by Mercury moving in right in Alex's face and pointing an accusing finger into his chest.

"Listen man, we didn't fly all the way from Mistral just to be turned away by the likes of you!" Mercury didn't realize his mistake of getting too close to Alex and laying a hand him. Alex looked down at Mercury's finger on his chest, then back up to its owner, before making his move. In a split second, Mercury found himself turned around and in a wrist lock, non-compliant hold. Constant practice led to Alex being able to execute the move flawlessly as if it was an instinct. Mercury, being caught off guard, could only grunt as Alex's hold was firm and causing major pain in to his wrist. Both Cinder and Emerald were also caught off guard by how fast Alex got him in the hold. Cinder was even slightly impressed by his quick reflexes. Ivan, watching what just happened, instinctively moved his hand towards his pistol, while Greg already had his sights on the area and ready to radio in help and intervene if necessary. Nick saw what happened from his position and immediately went over to investigate while the police officers and other students couldn't help gawking at the scene.

"That's enough Alex." Ozpin said from behind and Alex simply nodded as he let Mercury go.

"I'd be careful where you point that thing." Alex said to Mercury while he massaged his wrist.

"Where'd you come from? Also, what brings you here?" Nick asked Ozpin.

"I was already out on a walk when I received a message from Professor Lionheart of Haven. He informed me that he had a team that didn't get added to the initial registry and just sent over the edited copy." Ozpin presented the edited copy from his scroll to Alex who looked over it thoroughly.

"Yup, that's them." Alex said, looking up at the trio.

"He also mentioned that they're a late start team that got issued ID's with an old encryption that the new system won't recognize and apologized for his blunder." Ozpin continued.

"And he probably also mentioned that this 'Neopolitan' girl will be arriving late due to a family emergency?" Alex asked while reading the information about her team.

"Right on the money." Ozpin replied while putting his scroll away. The bullshit was strong in the air, but Alex had to do what Ozpin says.

"Well, looks like I owe you three an apology for the inconvenience." Alex said to Cinder and her associates. No way in hell was he being sincere nor was he convinced that this was all one hell of a coincidence.

"No worries, sorry for getting in your face like that. The jet lag is no excuse for me to lash out. Boy did I learn my lesson." Mercury said, referring to his wrist. He may have sounded apologetic, but Alex knew better.

"Think nothing of it. You were just doing your jobs and we understand. Can't be too careful these days." Cinder replied with that calm, alluring tone and smile that can make any guy lose focus. Too bad Alex wasn't buying it.

"If your wrist is still sore, try putting ice on it." Alex said to Mercury. "Other than that, welcome to Beacon and hope this… occurrence doesn't ruin your experience for the festival." Alex said with his best fake smile.

"Thank you. Maybe we'll see each other again… Alex."

"I'm sure we will… Cinder." Alex glared hard into her amber eyes, while she returned the gesture into his brown eyes. Both refused to break contact, as if they were fighting for dominance and the first to break would declare submission to the other.

"Well no point in delaying Ms. Fall's team any longer." Ozpin said, unofficially declaring a draw in the intense staring contest between Alex and Cinder.

"Of course. If you three would so kind to follow Nick, he'll get your bags checked in and you can continue on."

"Thank you very much." Alex watched as Nick led Cinder's team over to his station and Ivan returning to his duties, leaving him alone with Ozpin.

"Sir, you can't possibly believe any of that crap?" He asked.

"No, I don't. I know Leonardo personally and even he's not that forgetful when it comes to his students." Ozpin replied.

"Then may I ask why we let those three in because I'm pretty sure that they're not just punks trying to get access to the free food and stuff."

"Life is one big game Alex. In chess, you set your pieces up on the board in hopes of building a solid strategy to defeat your opponent. But while you get your pieces into play, it's also important not to show your hand too early, lest the enemy revises their strategy and ruins any chance of victory. With that in mind, sometimes you have to give up a few pieces and give your opponent some leeway in order to win. Then when they least expect it, you have them right where you want them and finally…checkmate." Alex analyzed his words and was able to figure out what Ozpin was planning.

"I get what you're trying at sir and I don't exactly agree with the strategy, but we'll go with it…for now." Alex replied.

"In any case, if chess falls through, then there's always games that require more direct action, such as billiards."

"We'll be ready when shit goes down sir."

"Wonderful. I'll let you get back to work then." Alex waited for Ozpin to leave the area before lighting another cigarette.

"Greg, you got an eye on those three?" Alex said into his radio.

" _Yeah. I haven't taken my eyes of them since they got here."_ He replied.

"What do you think?"

" _I think they're dangerous and we need to keep an eye on them."_

"Agreed. Anything else?"

" _That Cinder chick… I would do nasty things to her."_

"Definietly." Alex said as he continued smoking.

 **With Cinder**

"Well done you two. A minor snag but we managed to pull through." Cinder said to her cohorts.

"At least you didn't almost get your wrist broken in half. Damn that hurt like a bitch." Mercury complained as he pressed the ice pack into his wrist.

"I don't want to hear any shit from you Mercury!" Emerald shouted. She was short of breath, sweating and was rubbing her temples to alleviate a wicked headache. Common symptoms for when she over-exerts her Semblance.

"What are you so bitchy about? You can't be that spent already?" Mercury teased.

"Every one of those damn checkpoints had at least two guys present. You try keeping track of multiple minds in short random bursts. Then again, you can barely keep track of your own mind." She managed to sneak in jab at her forced work acquaintance.

"Don't think I won't fight someone in a weakened state." He shot back at her.

"Now Mercury, not saying you didn't do your part, but dear Emerald here is the only reason we got through security. Let the poor girl rest." Cinder calmly said, effectively deescalating the growing tension.

"Alright. Still, I can't believe that scroll plan worked." Mercury commented.

"We got lucky." Emerald replied.

In reality, it was pure luck that they got through security. The bullshit lies they used on Ozpin and Alex did have some hints of truth in it. Lionheart was supposed to take care of the loose ends in the paperwork, to allow Cinder unhindered access to get past the increased security. What she didn't expect was Lionheart somehow fucking it up along the way. Whether he had a change of heart or he really was that dumb, Cinder knew she better let her superiors know of Lionheart's supposed treachery or incompetence. It didn't matter to her. He's become a liability and should be dealt with accordingly. Their luck continued when Cinder noticed Ozpin walking around the area and knew she wouldn't get another opportunity. Using pre-rehearsed hand signals, she subtly ordered Mercury to cause a distraction, which he executed perfectly. Then while everyone was distracted, she discreetly hit a button on her scroll that dialed to Ozpin's scroll, thanks to a special function provided by her superiors. Finally, Emerald stepped up and carried the three all the way to the end despite having multiple sets of eyes on them the whole time.

"Yeah. That guy with the blue beret almost got us. Who are those guys anyway? They didn't look like cops." Mercury asked.

"I don't know, but they're definitely going to be a problem. Every time we moved on to another station, at least one of them was nearby watching us." Emerald replied, taking a sip of water to help her headache.

"I wouldn't worry too much about them. Focus on the mission and avoid drawing further attention to ourselves." Cinder said, calming the two down. However, in the back of her mind, she had a very, very microscopic hint of worry. No doubt those guys are going to be watching them like hawks. The best they can do, short of killing them, is to simply avoid them. Still, the mission was going to be difficult, now that someone is keeping an eye on them.

Those blue berets had her attention, but there was one in particular that stood out among them. The one who most of her worry was centered around. She couldn't place her finger on it, but there was something about him that she couldn't help but admire. Maybe it's that aura of authority that surrounds him, maybe it's his shrewd observation skill or maybe it's the way he presents himself with confident body language. Whatever it was, Alex was on Cinder's radar.

" _You've got my attention… Alex, was it? Shame you're on Ozpin's side, we could use someone like you. Don't worry, I'll be gentle as I put you in your place."_ Cinder couldn't help but grin at the innuendo, seeing as even she'll admit that Alex was easy on the eyes.

 **With the unidentified group of people**

"Report from Cinder: she and her lackey's have successfully infiltrated Beacon and are standing by to continue the operation."

"Very good, message her that the virus is almost ready and will be sent to her in a few days."

"Of course."

"Was there anything else in her report?"

"Yes, it appears Lionheart almost botched the operation due to either treachery or incompetence. She recommends immediate disposal."

"Contact our operatives in Mistral and have them deploy any known assets to take care of the problem."

"It will be done."

 **Ozpin's office, later that evening**

"Gentlemen, it's pleasure to finally meet you. I've been hearing a lot of things about you all." Ironwood said, while shaking their hands in greeting.

"Likewise, General." Alex replied. When it came to high ranking officers, there's no reason to be afraid of them. They put their pants on just like you do every morning. Yeah, they out rank you and have more authority over you on top of making more money, but they're still regular people. Ironwood was no different.

"You know, if someone told me that four men from another world's military died in their world and ended up on another, I'd have them sent to get their heads checked out." Ironwood commented while taking a seat.

"And yet here we are." Nick replied as he and the others took a seat.

"I suppose so." He said with a chuckle.

"So, what can we do you for you General?" Ivan innocently asked.

"I just wanted to have a chat with you four. Maybe you can answer some questions I have?"

"Depends what they are. We may not be from Remnant and have no way to get back to Earth, but we're still loyal to our homeland." Nick replied.

"Plus, we have your people to thank for helping resupply us, despite discovering that we've unintentionally begun the process of making Aura users obsolete." Greg added.

"We're not trying to be disrespectful General, but surely you can understand why we're a little apprehensive. I mean besides the weapons thing, there's also the fact that both of us represent different armies. On Earth, this could be considered treason." Alex reasoned to the general, who had a look of understanding on his face.

"There's no need to explain yourselves, I completely agree. If I was in your boots, I'd feel the same way."

"Glad to hear. Also, I should probably say this now, but if you're curious about trying to cross training your military or something along those lines, then I'm afraid we can't help you directly." Alex explained.

"I understand." Iron said with slight disappointment.

"Like we told Headmaster Ozpin, at the end of the day, we're grunts who go where people way above our paygrade decide we should go. So, we're not exactly versed on military intelligence operations on a global scale." Alex said. Ironwood accepted his answer and decided to ask another question.

"Ozpin mentioned that the VDV was the branch you were a part of and it was comprised of paratroopers. But what is 'Spetsnaz'?"

"It's an umbrella term used for all special forces units in Russia, as well as some of our neighboring countries. We were technically part of Spetsnaz GRU, the military intelligence of the armed forces. Simply put, we're better than the average soldier." Alex explained.

"That's another reason I wanted to speak to you four. I know you're not experts in the military intelligence scene, but it doesn't matter because you're more suited for field work correct?" The Russians nodded. "When Ozpin mentioned that your primary purpose is counter terrorism and counterinsurgency, I wanted to see for myself how it's done."

"Well to be fair, we also do special reconnaissance and operations, in addition to direct action." Greg pointed out.

"The point is that you four have specialized training that is practically non-existent here on Remnant."

"Before you continue General, I'm sorry but we're also not interested in going to Atlas and training the army there. No offense, but we're quite comfortable here in Beacon and Headmaster Ozpin has been fair to us, so we kind of owe him." Alex interjected, but Ironwood only smiled.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Ivan asked.

"I want a demonstration. A friendly war game between you four and my forces." Ironwood simply stated. The four looked among themselves, as if they were deciding on what to do. It didn't take long for them to come to a decision.

"All right General, that can be arranged." Alex said, answering for the squad.

"Good to hear, it'll be a good test for my troops to see how'd they fare in a fight against opponents with similar tactics."

"We'll talk details later, but I assume you have more questions you want answered?" Greg asked.

"If you don't mind." Ironwood replied.

"We'll answer what we can." Alex said.

 **A/N: Again if you want to discuss my logic and reasoning send a PM... or whatever.**

 **In case anyone was wondering, my characters may seem eccentric and what not, but they're actually loosely based on people I worked with when I was in the military. You meet a lot of...interesting people if you enlist and I assume it's the same throughout the world.**

 **Also, let me know if I'm butchering any facts or details on anything. I research what I can to make things as accurate as possible. I think I've done enough searches on Russia to be put on some FBI watch list.**

 **Anyway, I'm glad people enjoy the story despite the lack of shipping and romance and other elements that seem to be in a majority of the stories on this site.**

 **You guys are awesome!**

 **Hawk out**


	11. Chapter 11

**You know what's nice about side characters that probably aren't going to return to the main series? When writing about them, you're not restricted to keeping them in perfect character. You can do whatever the hell you want with them.**

Chapter 11: Atlas vs Spetsnaz, Part I

 **Beacon amphitheater 1025**

The meeting with Ironwood went surprisingly well. True to his word, he didn't ask a lot of questions regarding their military careers or any specific details about organization or capabilities of Russia or any military of Earth. They were okay with telling Ironwood about some of the stuff they did back on Earth, but they refuse to disclose any information that was classified by their standards. From the Russians perspective, they've already upset the balance of power on Remnant with bringing in weapons that accelerated the process of making Aura users obsolete. It's good for them because it gives them an edge, but for how long? How long until Atlas starts mass production and they become readily available? What about when they find their way into the hands of criminals and terrorists? But that's nothing compared to real danger involved: How long before Atlas starts making bigger and more advanced weaponry? They're the technologically advance, superpower of Remnant with the only standing army. The guys knew that if either Russia or the United States became the sole superpower of Earth, then that nation basically ran the show. So, who's to say Atlas wouldn't use these new weapons to muscle around the other kingdoms? The last thing Atlas needs to know about is the idea of first strike capabilities. Even a non-nuclear triad structure would be enough to threaten any Kingdom on Remnant.

Of course, all this is just speculation. Maybe Atlas does have everything under control with the best intentions in mind. Still, better safe than sorry.

Instead, Ironwood asked general questions about life on Earth and how the Russians felt about being so far away from home. They started off with the obvious by telling him about the lack of Grimm, Faunus, Dust, Aura and every other unique aspect of Remnant not found on Earth. Then they told him the stuff he actually wanted to know about such as all the countries, technological similarities and some of their history. When he heard about all the global conflicts that occurred on Earth, he was shocked to say the least. Remnant barely survived their Great War and yet Earth has had two World Wars, in addition to several conflicts since then, that made Remnant's war look like an argument between children. They finished up with telling him about the current state of affairs on Earth like the conflicts in the Middle East, economic status, politics and what not. Ironwood, for some reason showed interest when they talked about their…unique relationship with their geopolitical rival, the United States. They weren't openly hostile to each other, yet they weren't best friends either. The word "frenemy" best describes their relationship. As much as Ironwood would like to know more, the guys could only say so much due to their limited knowledge on politics.

Now, when it came to them being far away from home, they were very ambivalent about the whole thing. On one hand, they'd never see their friends and families ever again, which can be good or bad depending on how you want to look at it. On the other hand, they literally cheated death and can technically view this as a way to start over in life. It's all about how you can look at things. One thing they said to Ironwood that got the General thinking, was that to an extent, the Russians envied the people of Remnant. When he asked why, they said it was because of the Grimm, the people had a common enemy to unite against. Conflict is inevitable. Case in point, Remnant's Great War. But even in the midst of battle, both sides had to fight off the Grimm hordes. Even the reason for the war, was because of the Grimm. The people of Earth don't have that luxury. There's no common enemy among the people of Earth, so they became enemies with each other. The guys knew this was an extreme way of thinking and weren't that committed to the idea, but there is a hint of truth hidden in there. Of course, the threat of the White Fang and other groups might shake things up a little, but they'll be ready when the time comes.

In the end, they'll always have the memories of Russia and Earth in their hearts, despite being in a new world. All they can do, is what they've been doing their whole lives: take it one day at a time. Speaking of which, today was the day that the Russians were going to see what the Kingdom of Atlas is capable of.

It didn't take long for word to spread about the upcoming exercise between the Russians and the Atlesian forces. The halls of Beacon were filled with the excited mummers of students and faculty alike, eager to see the Russians in action. Due to popular demand, classes have been cancelled in anticipation for today's event. With the addition of the transfer students, the amphitheater was packed tightly with not much wiggle room. Even though they don't know anything about the Russians, they were inclined to join their Beacon counterparts to see what the fuss was about. With the event taking place outside in the training fields, the audience will be watching from the screens in the amphitheater via multiple cameras set up all throughout the fields as well as direct feed from the Russians' helmet cameras for a POV perspective.

The outdoor field was a massive 6000-acre area, built from clearing a good chunk of the Emerald forest, surrounded by an equally massive perimeter wall to keep the Grimm out. There were two main sections: the inner area that was cleared of trees and the outer area that kept the trees. The inner area had most of the obstacle courses and fighting pits while the outer forest area encompassed the many running and hiking trails. Additionally, there was a large simulation town near the center of the forested area called "Combat Town", that simulates fighting in urban environments.

One must ask, how much did all this cost? Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as the accountants in the school financial office predicted. Granted, Ozpin won't be able to have his fancy exotic coffees that get imported from Vacuo until the next fiscal cycle, but it was worth it in the long run. And all those trees that got cut down? They were put to good use. Whether they were used for obstacles, exercise tools, or used to help build combat town, using those trees was a good way to reduce costs. But the most impressive aspect of the training fields? It was how fast the damn thing was built. In a short two weeks, the construction crews cleared the trees, built the perimeter wall and set up everything to the exact specifications drawn up by the guys. No way in hell would a project get done that fast on Earth. Plus, using students as "volunteer" workers in addition to fighting off the Grimm was very cost effective.

The exercise itself was going to be a simulated mission where the Atlesians were going to play the opposition forces and try to stop the Russians. The mission objective was to conduct a raid on the Atlesian forces to search for and rescue a VIP taken hostage in the main compound, while disrupting the Atlesian presence by any means necessary. Since the Atlesians have numbers on their side, this was a test of the Russians stealth and infiltration abilities. When the exercise begins, the Russians are going to HALO jump in via an Atlesian transport ship, into the combat zone. From there, they'll make their way to Combat Town while taking out any patrols along the way. Once they get there, they'll need to come up with a plan to rescue the VIP from the police station in Combat Town and then safely escort them away to the extraction point where a bullhead will pick them up and complete the mission. The exercise is over when either the Russians accomplish the mission or the Atlesians "kill" them. Both sides will be using training weapons and special non-lethal hard rubber ammunition tipped with Dust that causes temporary paralysis. The paralysis dust tipped ammo is commonly used by police units to take down suspects non-lethally from a distance. The main benefit was that they could be used on non-Aura users without causing major harm. The drawback was that the paralysis effect was only potent enough to affect Humans and Faunus, and only for a short time on top of a painful sting when they hit you. When used against Grimm, all it did was piss them off more than they usually are.

Additionally, the guys had training versions of the various explosive type weapons they used. When triggered, the weapons "explode" by releasing a cloud of sticky, brightly colored powder that's similar to flour, mixed with paralysis dust. This delivery method was applied to most weapons such as the grenades for Alex's under barrel launcher, a reusable RPG for Nick and low-grade explosive charges that everyone can use. For the throwable weapons, the smoke grenades and flash bangs remained unchanged, while dummy frags and CS gas canisters replaced the normal frags and incendiary grenades. Compared to the Atlesians, the Russians had a wider variety of weapons to use for various situations. Still, they were outnumbered by a significant margin, sort of like their last mission that ended with them entering Remnant. But unlike last time, the guys weren't given bad intel on troop numbers and know what to expect when they land. Plus, it's a controlled training environment that shouldn't lead to anyone dying. Key word, _shouldn't_. It should be noted that the guys were going up against regular Atlesian soldiers, who don't have the training or experience the Russians have, let alone any idea what it's like to train to fight unconventionally or against another military force of equal strength and capabilities. Being the only military force on the planet tends to create that attitude of arrogance and complacency that proves to be their downfall. The Atlesians are about due for a wakeup call.

"Ruby! Can't you sit still for at least five minutes?" Weiss scolded her partner.

"I can't help it Weiss. We finally get to see Alex and the other's in action! Oh, I can't wait to see what their weapons can do!" Ruby squealed.

"I don't think their weapons do anything special Ruby. They seem very simple and straight forward." Ren commented.

"Nothing wrong with simplicity." She replied.

"I agree." Jaune added.

"Says the guy who uses a simple sword and shield." Yang teased.

"Still, we've seen what they're capable of without using a weapon. I'm curious to see what they do when they're armed." Pyrrha commented.

"Being awesome is what they're going to do!" Nora exclaimed.

"Yeah. Show those Atlesian scumbags who's boss! No offense Schnee." Coco said to Weiss, who let out a scoff.

"They're going up against two whole companies of soldiers led by my sister. Capable as they are, there's no way four guys can take them all on." Weiss commented.

"Your sister?" Blake asked.

"You have a sister?" Jaune asked with a little too much enthusiasm for Pyrrha's liking.

"Yes, Winter called me and said she's been deployed to Vale for the festival." On the outside Weiss was her usual refined self, but on the inside, she could hardly contain her excitement. After all, Winter was the only family member that she got along with and maintained regular communication with.

"How many soldiers are in a company?" Velvet asked.

"Winter said there's about 150 in a company so double it and you have 300 men total." She replied.

"That's a lot of guys." Ruby said in awe.

"Don't worry sis, I'm sure Alex and the gang are going to be fine." Yang reassured Ruby, who beamed a smile at her.

"I thought you guys said they didn't like it when you called them by first names?" Sun asked. He and Neptune decided to sit next to Ruby and the gang, seeing as how they became recently acquainted with each other.

"In class yeah, but afterwards they don't care." Yang replied to the monkey Faunus.

"But you guys said these guys are major hard asses." Neptune commented.

"During class or if you get in trouble, but again afterwards, they're pretty chill. Actually, they're the chilliest, funniest, most easy-going guys you'll ever meet." Coco replied. Sun and Neptune both raised eyebrows at what she said.

"Trust me, it was also weird for us watching them switch over from being focused and serious fighters, to a bunch of guys joking around and acting like idiots in a matter of seconds." Blake explained. Both guys nodded at her explanation.

"Hey, I think it's starting." Jaune said. The random conversations in the amphitheater came to a halt when the screens lit up and came to life.

The audience got a nice view of the passenger bay of an Atlesian transport and its occupants. There was a man in an Atlesian pilot uniform, a crew chief, and then there was the Russians. They were fully geared up in their usual attire that the Beacon students were already accustomed to, with some noticeable differences. Instead of the balaclava, they were wearing a dark goggle and oxygen mask combination that covered most of their faces, giving them a robotic super soldier appearance. Additionally, they had on a parachute, and were huddled around two large metal drogues that their weapons were stored in. They were currently looking each other over in the bay, making sure everything was secured. The crew chief heard a radio message in his headset, then pointed to his watch and held up two fingers to the Russians, who nodded at him. Excitement and astonishment radiated off the amphitheaters occupants.

"Whoa, they're going to parachute in? That's awesome!" Yang exclaimed.

"But why are they wearing oxygen masks? I thought only pilots wear them when they go up to higher altitudes." Weiss asked.

"Maybe they are up that high." Ren replied. His assessment was correct when one of the helmet cameras panned over to an altimeter that showed they were 20,000ft in the air. There were a few gasps and awes from the audience.

"That's…really high." Jaune commented, feeling a little nauseous.

"They're not really going to jump from that height? Right?" Velvet nervously asked. The crew chief grabbed onto a side rail and pulled a lever, opening the rear bay doors, revealing the magnificent view of Vale from the skies.

"I guess they are." Pyrrha remarked.

"Are they crazy?!" Weiss shrieked. The crew chief waved over to the Russians, and gestured for them to check their straps and masks one last time and give thumbs up. Alex gave a quick tug to his straps and placed a hand over his mask and took a few breaths. He looked back to the rest of the guys, who gave thumbs up to Alex. A final thumb up to the crew chief let him know that they were ready.

"They're going to do it." Coco said with a hint of worry.

A red light came on by the crew chief and the Russians moved closer to edge, waiting for the green. The guys have done a number of HALO and HAHO jumps during their careers, but the hardest part was always the wait. Waiting for that damn red light to turn green. The guys did some last-minute stretches to loosen up before grabbing on to the drogues and getting into position. Alex took one last look at the view, noticing that they can practically see the whole city. And then just like that, the light turned green. He took a deep breath…and took to the skies.

"Oh, I can't look." Ruby said, covering her eyes yet leaving her fingers spaced apart. Gasps of shock and awe echoed throughout the audience as they watched the Russians free falling towards the ground at such high speeds. Most students couldn't imagine being up that high. And yet there they were, plummeting from 20,000ft, showing no signs of fear or worry. Many thought they were going to deploy their chutes right away, but they just kept going. Eventually, they formed a circle facing one another and gave a quick wave into each other's helmet cameras, knowing everyone was watching.

"The way they're falling is so graceful and majestic. You can learn a thing a thing or two from them about falling from heights Jaune." Nora joked to her leader, referring to the initiation. However, the blonde knight wasn't paying attention. The thought of being up that high and free falling wasn't doing anything good for his stomach. Good thing his partner was there to help comfort him, gently moving her arm up and down his back. It seemed to help him relax a little, which put a smile on her face.

After almost two minutes of free falling, the audience was finally able to release their breaths that they didn't even realize they were holding, as the cameras suddenly jerked and the speed of their descent slowed down drastically, indicating that they deployed their parachutes. It was about another minute before the Russians touched down into the western edge of the forested area of the field, right by the perimeter wall. They quickly drew their pistols and did a scan of their surroundings for any Atlesian troops that may have been on patrol. Luckily, there weren't any so, they got to work removing their parachutes and oxygen masks before stuffing them into a nearby bush. With their HALO gear out of the way, the guys rolled up their balaclavas from around their necks, up to the lower halves of their faces, helping to further conceal them in the forest. Now first things first, they needed to retrieve their weapons from the drogue containers.

 **With the Russians**

"Alright, they should be on the other side of that tree." Greg said while looking at his scroll and pointing to a tree about 100m from their position. Quickly making their way to the tree, the guys saw the two drogues laying in a clearing with the chutes sprawled out, but held back when they saw three Atlesian soldiers in the clearing, looking over the drogues.

"White armor in a green forest. It's like we're fighting stormtroopers." Nick whispered.

"Nick, you and Greg circle around and make sure there's no other patrols nearby. Ivan, you're with me in taking these three out." Alex ordered, ignoring Nick's comment. As quickly and quietly as they could, Greg went to the right of the clearing, while Nick went left, leaving Alex and Ivan to move closer and get a better shot at their unsuspecting foes. The Atlesians were too preoccupied trying to open the containers to notice anything. Bad move not paying attention to one's surroundings. Six well placed gunshots and you now have three "dead" Atlesian soldiers. First blood has been drawn.

"Wow, those paralysis bullets really work." Ivan commented while gathering up his gear. The three soldiers were still conscious and breathing, but they couldn't move a muscle or speak at all.

"I don't know how those things work nor do I care, so long as they get the job done, that's all that matters." Alex replied, readying his rifle. Just like everything up to this point, they said "fuck it" and just went along with it. Greg and Nick came back a few minutes later and reported the area was all clear for now. With everyone geared up, it was time to plan the raid.

"Based on where we are, we're about two miles from Combat Town. As expected, the enemy presence this far out is minimal but will drastically increase the closer we get." Greg stated, getting things started.

"Well first things first, we need to at least make our way over there to get an idea on what the Atlesians have in store for us." Nick said.

"Alright, file on to me and try to maintain a 5-meter dispersion. We'll go in silent and take out patrols we come across. Ivan you're going to have to hold off until we get to Combat Town, or if shit gets stupid." Ivan nodded in response to Alex. Since he uses a machine gun, he doesn't need to use a suppressor. Yeah, he can technically attach one to his weapon, but he's more suited for suppressing fire or straight up spray and pray as nothing beats that loud, beautiful sound of a machine gun lighting up some poor fucker. Besides, last time he used a suppressor, the high rate of fire caused it to melt and it was a bitch to clean off.

"They're wearing bright white armor, we'll see them coming from miles away." Greg commented while attaching the suppressor to his rifle. As the squads designated marksman, it makes sense he's going to be the front man for taking out any patrols as they make their way to Combat Town.

"Remember, we're outnumbered 75 to 1. We can't afford to get into a large firefight that's not in our favor." Alex commented.

"Who's the VIP we're 'rescuing' anyway?" Ivan asked.

"I don't know, one of the professors I think." Greg replied.

"I wonder who lost that bet." Nick joked.

"Alright enough chatter, let's fuck some shit up." Alex said with a grin.

 **Back at Beacon**

The audience watched as the Russians made their way through the forests, clearing natural barriers and silently eliminating Atlesian patrols they came across. There was a realization among the Beacon students that what they were learning in Alex's class, was being demonstrated in a practical setting during this exercise. From the importance of physical stamina, to observing one's surroundings and knowing when to strike, everything started to click in their minds. However, the one thing that's still having difficulty registering in their minds was the idea of killing. Even though they're using training weapons and ammo, the Russians treated this like a real mission: shoot to kill and take no prisoners. The students watched with amazement and a little bit of fright as the Russians quickly and effortlessly took down any Atlesian soldier they came across. Their shots were deadly accurate, hitting their marks before the poor bastards could react. At least 21 soldiers have already met their makers with Greg taking credit for two thirds of them. The camera angle panned in on Greg as he sighted in on two more soldiers up in a tower, lazily watching the area. There was a distinctive "ping" and a small puff of Dust when the bullet made contact with the head of the first soldier who went down instantly. The second one was surprised at the sudden demise of his battle buddy, but was unable to even draw his weapon as two follow up shots hit him in the chest and head respectively, causing him to fall over the railing and onto the ground. Luckily, a rock was there to cushion his fall from a 30ft tower. Two more confirmed "kills" for Greg.

"He's going to feel that in the morning." Jaune said, rubbing his lower back as if he felt the soldiers pain.

"Man, Greg is a wicked shot with that rifle of his." Coco added.

"He's a better shot than you sis." Yang teased, but Ruby was too focused watching Greg's rifle in action.

"It's no Crescent Rose, but it gets the job done." Ruby said out loud to no one in particular.

"Is no one going to talk about those brutal headshots?" Sun asked. He, alongside the rest of the transfers who've had no knowledge of the Russians, were amazed at what they were watching. None of the students from the other schools have ever seen fighting like this. Sneaking around and using silenced weapons was not a common practice on Remnant, especially by Huntsmen. Not even the Atlas students have seen their military forces use tactics like this before. Speaking of the Atlas students, they weren't sure how to feel about having their military fight against the Russians. They know next to nothing about them and yet they've already taken down about two dozen of their soldiers fairly quickly and with ease. Either way, it's too early to make any judgement calls, but they felt confident in their military's abilities once the Russians make contact with the brunt of their forces.

"On the first day of their class, they made it clear that they're trained to fight and kill people." Pyrrha answered. Both Sun and Neptune went wide eyed.

"Like…seriously?" Neptune asked.

"Yeah, every fighting technique we learned had a killing intent behind it." Yang said as she remembered almost being choked to death in the first class.

 **"** So, have those guys…you know?" Sun hesitantly asked.

"We haven't seen anything but yes, they have killed before. There's no doubt in anyone's mind about that." Blake answered in a serious tone.

"The unsettling part is not that they've killed, but the fact that they're so indifferent to it." Velvet commented. Even with how she's been treated in the past, Velvet couldn't even comprehend the idea of taking someone's life, no matter how terrible they were.

"What did they do before they became teachers?" Neptune asked.

"No one knows exactly, but supposedly they're a special purpose unit trained to fight threats like the White Fang, using unconventional tactics." Blake answered. She knew the real reason why they fought indirectly with unconventional and unorthodox methods. But even though her friends now know about her Faunus heritage, Blake wasn't going to break her promise to Alex in keeping quiet about their lack of Aura. He's been fair to her and she wasn't going to mess up their mutual respect for each other like that.

"Damn." Neptune and Sun said at the same time.

 **With the Russians**

"Hold up, there's a truck coming up the road." Alex said, signaling for them to get down. They watched as an Atlesian military truck carrying 20 men in the back, drove down the road, ignoring the presence of the Russians. Due to utilization of the entire field, the Atlesians had several trucks and jeeps brought along to get around quicker via the dirt roads that ran throughout the area. Alongside the foot patrols and outposts, there were vehicular patrols that traveled along the main roads that circled Combat Town, only stopping at checkpoints along the road or to rotate out with another when they circle back to town.

"Alright, Combat Town is just on the other side of that hill." Greg said, pointing to the large hill on the other side of the road. "We should be able to get a good view from the top."

"Isn't that why we built Combat Town over there, so it would be in view of that hill?" Ivan asked.

"It's nice having homefield advantage" Nick replied. A short walk and another three "dead" Atlesians later, the Russians were on top of the hill looking down at Combat Town and the surrounding areas. From the hilltop, they were less than a quarter mile away from the town. Taking a knee, Greg used his rifle to scan the area, while Alex pulled out a pair of binoculars to check out the activity in the Town. Despite being a training town, it was well built and very detailed to the point it could pass for a real town. Combat Town was about half the size of Oxford with a smaller perimeter wall and many buildings that resembled houses and stores running up and down the narrow streets that divided up the town. Some other landmarks that dotted through the town were the police station that VIP was in, a hospital and a clock tower that overlooks the whole town. Normally, Combat Town was pretty quiet, but that was not the case today as the town was bustling with activity from the Atlesian forces. There were dozens, if not hundreds of troops spread throughout the town and surrounding areas. A combination of foot and mechanized patrols were rotating in and out with the main garrison in the town. There were men up on the rooftops armed with sniper rifles and machine nests set up on top of the police station. It doesn't take a genius to see that the police station was the main base of operations. Anyone can tell going by the concentration of troops and defensive positions near it, on top of the gray Atlesian symbol on a flag with a white background flying proudly in the breeze, hanging off the side of a portable communication tower. Next to the police station was a large building resembling an apartment complex that was being used by the garrison as a make shift barracks, and it's parking lot as a vehicle depot for their trucks and jeeps. Soldiers were either standing guard, or relaxing off to the side, smoking and joking among themselves. However, they stopped fucking around when a young woman with white hair, wielding a sword and wearing a modified field variant of her normal uniform walked by, and the men immediately snapped to attention and saluted her.

"That must be the officer in charge." Alex said while keeping an eye on her.

"Wow, she's gorgeous." Greg commented.

"She looks very familiar, but I can't put my finger on it." Alex replied, watching as Winter entered the police station and closed the door behind her.

"Man, I wish I had a pair of binoculars." Nick commented, while he and Ivan continued to kept watch.

"Alright, if I had to guess, I'd say the VIP we need to rescue is most likely in the police station jail cells. That's what I'd do at least." Alex said to Greg.

"Makes sense, but how are we going to get to them? That area is locked down tight and there's no way we'll survive a direct confrontation." Greg replied.

"When's the last time we charged in for a direct assault?" Alex asked.

"Syria." Greg said with a light smirk.

"Hey! That was bad intel and you know it!" Alex shot back, smirking back at him.

"Alright, then I suggest we create a diversion to draw out the bulk of their forces and be able to slip in with a less significant enemy presence." Greg replied.

"Nick, Ivan, get over here." Alex called to the others, who quickly circled around him.

"What's the plan boss?" Nick asked.

"Like Greg suggested, we need to cause a distraction that'll draw out the Atlesians from Combat Town. I think there's a vehicle checkpoint not too far from here." Alex said.

"We're going to attack it?" Ivan asked.

"Yes, but attacking five or so guys in a small blockhouse isn't going to be enough. Once we take out the sentries, we'll set up for an ambush for the next vehicle patrol that comes by." Alex continued.

"And hopefully we'll cause enough damage to draw out the garrison?" Nick asked and Alex nodded in response.

"We're going to hit them quick and dirty, so go loud and don't give them a chance to spread out."

"Got it." Ivan replied.

"From there, the attack should be big enough to draw attention away from town and while they mobilize their forces, we're going to have to haul ass straight to town."

"Ugh, more running." Nick complained but was ignored.

"When we get to town, that's when the fun begins. They'll be too focused on the checkpoint to notice our presence in the town. Greg, make your way to that clock tower where you can provide cover fire. Your priority is clearing the snipers and machine gun nests off the rooftops. Ivan, set up in the buildings across the street between the police station and the apartment complex to maximize your field of fire, but give me and Nick your extra explosive charges. Nick, you and I are going to hit the police station and rescue the VIP. But before we do that, we'll set these charges up around the area for either a distraction or our getaway depending on the situation."

"And how exactly are we getting away." Greg asked.

"Well, when the charges go off and the rooftops are clear, we'll 'borrow' one of their vehicles and make for the extraction zone."

"Who's going to get the vehicle?" Ivan asked.

"Me and Nick will be right there by the vehicle depot, so it'll probably be us." Alex replied.

"Wouldn't it be easier for me and Greg to grab a vehicle while you and Nick rescue the VIP? I mean we can do this rescue operation quietly without getting into a large firefight, right?" Ivan asked, pointing out the obvious.

"Well yeah, but remember, the second part of the mission was to disrupt enemy forces." Alex pointed out.

"Plus, Ironwood wants to see what we're capable of. So why not give him a show?" Greg added.

"Besides, where's the fun in being all stealthy?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I'm not complaining. Just making sure that we're not going too overboard with this." Ivan replied.

"Don't worry big guy, it's all in good fun." Nick commented.

"After we crush the Atlesians and complete this exercise, first round at the Voluptuous Vixen is on me." Alex said with utmost confidence.

"Drinks or lap dances?" Nick asked.

"Like I'm going to buy you faggots lap dances." Alex sarcastically replied with a smile.

"Worth a shot. Now let's get this party started." Nick replied.

After making their way down the hill, they shortly came across the vehicle checkpoint that they were pretty sure was in that direction. It was a small blockhouse off to the side of the road with large orange road barriers that can be easily moved to redirect traffic or block the road. From what they saw, there was one soldier outside and another four inside the blockhouse. Like every other patrol they came across, the Atlesians were very relaxed and casual in their movements. So relaxed, that they didn't notice Alex and Nick sneaking up alongside the blockhouse, weapons at the ready. As they stacked up right outside the doorway, Alex readied a flashbang for use while Greg quickly disposed of the soldier outside. The sound of the bullet that took the guy out was loud enough for the men inside to stop what they were doing and investigate what happened. Before they could even grab their weapons, there was a bright flash and an excoriating loud ringing sound that forced them to stop and cover their eyes and ears. Less than a second later, Alex and Nick entered the room and quickly cleared it out of the four occupants.

"All clear." Nick said, lowering his rifle and taking a look around the room.

"Greg, stay where you're at, Ivan come down here and help us move these roadblocks." Alex said into his radio. A few moments later, Ivan came down and was helping Alex move the orange barriers to block off the road for the next patrol that would come by. Meanwhile, Nick moved all the bodies into the corner of the blockhouse and was rummaging through their work desk for anything useful. The only thing remotely useful was a logbook labeled "checkpoint alpha" that kept detailed records of the time that the patrols stopped by. If he was looking at it right, the patrols follow a routine pattern, and the next one should be coming by very shortly. He was interrupted from looking over the log when the radio on the table clicked on.

 _"All stations be advised; enemy forces are active and on the move. Remain alert and radio in if you see anything. All stations copy, over."_

"What's up man?" Alex asked, walking into the room.

 _"Checkpoint Delta copies."_

 _"Outpost 2-5 copies."_

"Looks like they've noticed some of their patrols are missing." Nick replied.

 _"Team 3 copies."_

 _4_ _th_ _recon copies."_

 _"Checkpoint Bravo copies."_

"About time." Alex commented.

 _"Checkpoint Alpha, do you copy over?"_

"That's us, should we say something?" Nick asked.

"Ignore it, let's get set up for the ambush." Alex replied.

 _"Checkpoint Alpha, Base one; radio check over."_

 **Atlas command center**

"Checkpoint Alpha, Base one; radio check over." The soldier repeated into the radio.

"What is it sergeant?" Winter asked.

"Checkpoint Alpha hasn't been responding to any calls ma'am." The sergeant replied. Winter took a moment to think of possibilities on why that is. Either the men were slacking off, their equipment is malfunctioning or they've been hit by the enemy. She looked over to a large map of the area that displayed their troop movements, patrol routes and more recently, a bunch of red x's that indicated a patrol or outpost found to be wiped out by their mysterious host enemies.

"Lieutenant, take two truckloads of men over to checkpoint Alpha and see what's going on. That checkpoint is right down the road from here and I'm not taking any chances." She ordered to the young man.

"Yes ma'am, we'll head over immediately." He replied while grabbing his weapon.

"Radio me once you've arrived and determined the situation. If it turns out they were slacking off, replace them and bring them straight to me." She said with a firm tone and icy glare.

"Yes ma'am." The lieutenant gave her one last salute before leaving the control room.

When Ironwood told Winter about this training exercise, she felt it was a waste of time considering it was only against four men. However, General Ironwood assured her that its necessary training and just like the good specialist she is, Winter complied with his orders. So here she was, in the basement of a building that replicates a police station in the middle of a simulation town. She was wearing a field version of her normal service uniform that included more practical articles of clothing such as boots, cargo pants and a combat jacket that allowed more flexibility and comfort. Additionally, she carried the training version of the sword she normally uses where the only difference was that the blade was dull and wouldn't cut through skin.

She'll admit that Combat Town was an impressive feature and can see the possible training uses for it. Utilizing the basement of the police station as their command center allowed them a secure and easily defendable position to operate out of. The walls were lined with concrete and a large steel door was the only way to get into the room. The only other possible entrance was a basement window that was too small for anyone to get through. It was currently left open to allow the cables from the communication tower to route into the control room. Inside there were desks, chairs and lots of radio equipment and maps that the Atlesian command element used to control their troop movements throughout the entire field. As Winter took count of the reported "casualties", she was slightly off put the number. There were at least 30 confirmed "kills" with the possibility of more from the surrounding areas. 30 out of 300 was 10 percent of her forces. Nothing to sweat about, but that was done by only four men. Of course, she held onto the notion that the full might of her forces will be able to overwhelm and take down a mere four men. With a satisfied nod, she turned back to the maps and waited for the lieutenants call from checkpoint Alpha.

 **Checkpoint Alpha**

 _"Three vehicles coming in from the west. I see two trucks with 20 plus infantry in the back and a fully occupied jeep with what looks like an officer with them."_ Greg radioed from his elevated position.

"Copy. As soon as they come to a complete stop, light 'em up." Alex radioed back. Himself, Nick and Ivan were on left side of the road, 10 meters apart, hidden in the bushes, waiting for the Atlesians to arrive. Nick was the closet to the barriers they placed to block of the road and would take care of the left flank. Ivan took the middle where he'd have the maximum field of fire to take out the infantry. That left Alex with the right flank, where he can come up from behind the vehicles if necessary. Another minute passed before they heard the familiar sound of truck engines rounding the corner. The vehicles began to slow down as they noticed that the road was blocked of by the barriers. Finally, they came to complete stop and the lieutenant in the front vehicle called out for the sentries.

"Where is everybody? What's the meaning of this?" He yelled out. Too bad no one was there to answer him.

"Smoke 'em!" Alex shouted.

It all happened so fast for the Atlesians. The men in the trucks were being torn to shreds by Ivan's machine gun before they could even get up, while Nick fired a rocket at the first passenger truck, covering it in a bright yellow sticky powder, taking out the driver and any stragglers that managed to get out. Alex ran out behind the second truck and fired a grenade into the back, taking out any poor bastard that wasn't quick enough to hop over the side and taking out the ones who managed to get out of the truck. Greg finished taking out the men in the jeep and was focusing on taking out the soldiers taking cover behind the trucks and trying to shoot back. Meanwhile, the lieutenant managed to take cover behind the jeep when the shooting started. He was currently trying to use the jeeps radio to call for backup, but all the shooting and explosions around him made it difficult for him.

"Come in Base one! The enemy's here and we're taking heavy fire! We need back up now!" The lieutenant shouted into the radio.

 _"Say again lieutenant, you're breaking up."_ The voice of Winter replied.

"I said…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw a grenade roll right next to him.

 **Atlas command center**

"Lieutenant, do you read me? Come in, lieutenant!" Winter shouted, but the familiar sound of a grenade going off answered her question. She put the radio down and turned to face the rest of the room's occupants, who only stared at her. "What are you waiting for? Get our men out there!" She shouted to her subordinates.

 **A/N: Please address all questions, concerns and/or complaints in a PM. Or do whatever, I don't fucking care.**

 **Other than that, always remember that history didn't start until July 4, 1776.**

 **Have a Happy 'Murica day!**

 **Hawk out.**


	12. Chapter 12

**This is long overdue, but a special thanks to Pinkpower 3612 for helping me out during the earlier chapters.**

 **Additional thanks to Vostok2142 and Psihopatul for their reviews and suggestions.**

 **Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters**

Chapter 12: Atlas vs Spetsnaz, Part II

 **Checkpoint Alpha**

" _Looks like that did the trick, the whole town is active and I see multiple vehicles loading up to head over here."_ Greg radioed to the gang. Alex and the others just finished up taking out any survivors and were already heading back to Greg's position. The Atlesians took the bait, meaning that the town would have a less significant enemy presence to deal with. So far, so good.

"Nice job guys, but no time to celebrate. Come on, we need to haul ass over to Combat Town before this area is crawling with Atlesians." And with that, the four Russians took off running to reach Combat Town. Fortunately, it wasn't that far of a run.

 **The amphitheater**

Jaws were dropped at the sight of the carnage that just took place. In a matter of minutes, four guys took down over 40 Atlesian soldiers, who now lay sprawled out all over the ground, even with a few bodies slumped over the sides of the trucks. Though they weren't dead, it was still an eerie sight for the students to behold.

"Wow." Ruby managed to say. Just the sound of Ivan's machine gun tearing holes in the side of the trucks and cutting down those men was enough to make her jump in surprise when he started firing. She wasn't expecting it to be that loud, even though the speakers.

"That was brutal." Sun said, eyes glued to the screen. This ambush style fighting wasn't unheard of, but it was normally associated with bandits who prowled the roads for unsuspecting travelers with the intention of taking their valuables, or the occasional White Fang attack on a Dust convoy. Both of those situations, the victims usually survive the attack as they weren't the main target. It was only recently that attacks like these with the sole intention of killing everyone, started occurring more frequently. Watching a simulated one on screen showed them just how devastating a surprise attack on unsuspecting people can be.

"No survivors." Pyrrha said in a neutral tone. The memory of watching the Russians move through the sea of "dead" soldiers to quickly and mercilessly take care of any Atlesians that were still "alive", was something that everyone in the audience won't soon forget. Again, it may be simulated, but it's the idea that they're treating this like a real mission is what concerns everyone.

"The worse thing is that they're just getting started." Blake commented. No one disagreed with that.

"Oh man, this is getting good." Unlike the others, Yang couldn't contain her excitement. Despite the questionable tactics and moral dilemmas, it was still pretty cool to watch. Kind of like watching a movie or a video game.

"I wish they'd speak more clearly, it's hard to tell what they're saying. Although I'm pretty sure one of them said something about my sister." Weiss commented with an annoyed tone.

"It's their accents that makes them hard to understand. What kind is it anyway?" Neptune asked.

"Nobody knows. It doesn't help that they won't tell anyone where they're from either." Coco answered.

"Really?" Sun asked.

"Yeah, we've tried to ask but they only answer with that its classified information." Velvet replied.

"Well, do you guys have any ideas?" Neptune asked.

"It's not a Mistralian accent." Pyrrha said.

"Or an Atlesian one." Weiss added.

"What about Vacuo?" Ruby asked.

"None that I'm aware of." Sun answered. He did grow up in Vacuo after all.

"Shush! I'm trying to watch!" Nora exclaimed, bringing focus back to the screens.

 **With the Russians**

After the short sprint to Combat Town, the Russians easily entered the town limits and were getting set up for the attack. Just like they predicted, the majority of the Atlesians were out of the town, leaving behind a small force to guard the police station and their command center.

"Ivan, Greg, get in position but do not engage or trigger the explosives until I give the word. Nick, you're with me in finding the VIP." Another ingenious feature about Combat Town was that there was a maze of underground tunnels that ran all throughout the town and interconnected all the buildings together with a few that allowed street access. In other words, you can navigate the whole town via the underground network. They got the idea to include this feature from personal experience, and stories they heard from the Americans when they were in Afghanistan. The best part was that they never told the Atlesians that there were tunnels that ran through the whole town. It might be considered cheating, but you know the old saying: if you're not cheating, you're not trying.

Opening the hatch, Greg emerged from the manmade hole in the floor, and began to make his way to the top of the clock tower. With the exception of a sniper already in the tower, who was taken out with a quick whack upside the head, the tower was clear for Greg to set up shop. Crouching down and making sure to stay out of sight, he did a quick scan of the area to see if anything changed. There were two machine gun positions surrounded by sandbags on the police stations roof, with support from four snipers who kept a lookout for anything unusual. Additionally, several troops remained in and around the apartment complex, but with fewer numbers than earlier. From what Greg could see, there were about a dozen men patrolling the perimeter and immediate area, with about another two or so dozen inside the apartment building. Overall, the police station was still secured, but lacked any significant relief forces from the nearby area. It appears that the Atlesians believed the best defense was a strong offence with hopes of overwhelming the Russians. Greg chuckled inwardly at how easily the Atlesians took the bait and continued to scan the area. He panned over to a restaurant building across from the apartment building and saw the form of Ivan setting up his machine gun on the second floor of the building. The window where he situated himself had its curtains drew, keeping Ivan hidden until it was time to strike.

Meanwhile, Alex and Nick were carefully navigating their way through the tunnels in hopes of finding the access routes between both the police station and the apartment complex. Using natural light from air holes and wall markers to keep track of where they're at, they found four access doors between the two buildings that opened up from inconspicuous locations along the streets, which was perfect for them to pop in and plant an explosive here and there. In the streets, there were explosive charges planted in trash cans, under debris and any other strategic location alongside the main roads where the Atlesians were patrolling. Lucky for them, the timing of the foot patrols and the slight inattentiveness of the snipers worked out in their favor. The same thing can be said about the apartment complex. Inattentive guards, troops spread out too thinly and even a few guys sleeping off to the sides was what Alex and Nick witnessed while planting charges inside the ground floor. Seriously, they could've walked in through the front door. It was hard to believe that this was the mighty Atlesian army in action.

"Maybe we should help Ironwood train up his soldiers. You would think with a confirmed attack nearby, it would put everyone on high alert." Nick commented as he climbed back into the hole.

"I think they've just gotten complacent due to not having another nations military to compete with. After today, hopefully they'll wake up. As for the second part, they're probably that arrogant in their abilities." Alex replied. He was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but still needed to prove a point. With a few charges left over, they quickly made their way over to the police station access point. As quietly as he could, Alex pushed open the hatch just enough for him to scan the room, only to find it empty.

"Which way to the jail cells?" Nick asked while climbing out and closing the hatch.

"Down this hallway." Alex replied, rifle up at the ready.

 **The jail cells**

As one would imagine, the jail cells in Combat Town's police station were your standard run of the mill cells. Out of the four in the room, only one had an occupant, the VIP the Russians were rescuing. To play the part, the VIP was gagged and blindfolded while tied to a chair, under the watch of two Atlesians soldiers. Currently the two soldiers were just standing around, talking to each other.

"Hey." The one with a maroon trim on his armor said.

"Yeah?" Replied the one with an orange trim.

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"What, you mean like spiritually or why we're here in Vale?"

"The second one. Like, why are we here doing a training exercise in the middle of a fake town in the forests of Vale, guarding a hostage while hundreds of soldiers try to hunt down four guys?"

"Beats me, but I hear those four guys are something different."

"Different how?"

"They're some kind of special purpose unit."

"Like Specialist Schnee?"

"Not really. I heard they're specifically trained to tackle threats like the White Fang or ANTIFA."

"Don't Huntsmen already do that?"

"From what I heard, not to the extent of these guys. Huntsmen primarily fight Grimm, and when they do clash with those groups, they usually knock them out and let the authorities deal with them. But these guys…they take no prisoners.

"You mean they cut out the middle man?"

"Yeah. If you're on the shit list, its game over man."

"Damn, that's hardcore. But why are we fighting them?"

"I think General Ironwood wants to test their effectiveness against us. Maybe he's trying to create a unit like that for us."

"You're on right track with that answer." A new voice said behind them. The two soldiers turned around to the sight of Alex and Nick with their rifles aimed right at their faces. Instead of firing inside of a building where the shots will echo and draw attention, they opted for hitting them upside their heads with the butts of their rifles, forcing them to the ground and finishing them off with a boot to the face, knocking them out cold.

"Keep a look out while I get our VIP out of there." Alex said to Nick while he grabbed the jail keys from the knocked-out soldier. While Nick watched the doorway, Alex unlocked the cell door to a familiar person tied to a chair with a burlap sack over their head. He reached to remove the sack, revealing an annoyed looking Glynda with tape over her mouth. Drawing his knife, he proceeded to cut her bindings, freeing up her hands and legs to allow to stand up and remove the tape from her mouth.

"I can't believe I agreed to this." She groaned while massaging her wrists.

"I see you drew the short straw. Or maybe they wanted a hostage that people are willing to rescue. I can't see a lot of effort going into saving Port." Alex joked to her, gaining a small grin from her.

"He's not that bad." She replied.

"You're right, who needs a weapon when you can just talk the Grimm to death." This time, he earned a small chuckle from her. Good thing the audio back at the amphitheater wasn't that great for the teachers that were also watching.

"So, I guess I'm supposed to follow you out and stay down right?" She paused for a moment. "I'm not being condescending, I've never been a hostage so I don't how this works." Glynda asked. She was instructed not to interfere too much during the exercise, seeing as how the focus was on Alex's squad. Besides, she didn't have her weapon on hand, so it's not like she could help them.

"Something like that. Just stick close to us and we'll get through this." He replied. Knowing this was Alex's area of expertise, she simply nodded to him. "Is the coast clear?" He asked Nick.

"All clear, though we better get moving." Nick replied while peering around the corner.

"Ivan, Greg; VIP is secure. We're going to make our way to the vehicle depot, standby to engage." Alex radioed to them.

" _Copy. Detonator is primed and ready."_ Ivan replied.

" _Careful at the vehicle depot, there's an occupied IFV hanging out in that area.. It appears to be armed with a 30mm cannon and a mounted machine gun. Might cause problems for us."_ Greg replied.

"Don't worry Greg, Nick can take care of it. Focus on clearing out those snipers, then make your way to Ivan's position once the rooftops are cleared" Alex reassured.

" _Copy. Just say the word."_ Greg replied.

"Nick, take Glynda and make your way to the vehicle depot. There's an IFV hanging out there that's armed with a machine gun and a 30mm cannon that needs to be taken out. Once that's taken care of, grab a vehicle and swing back around to get us out of here."

""What the fuck do they need a 30mm cannon out here for? Nevermind, I'll take care of it. What about you?" Nick asked while loading another rocket into the fake RPG, knowing what needs to be done.

"I'm going to take the rest of these charges and plant them further in the station. No need to let them go to waste." Alex replied.

"Alright, be careful man." Nick said, giving Alex a friendly slap to his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Just let me know when you're in position, and wait for my go." Alex replied, returning the gesture while Glynda watched with much admiration in regard to their mutual trust and respect they have for each other.

"Miss Goodwitch, if you would kindly follow me, we'll be taking a short detour into the tunnels." Nick said to her in a very gentlemen-like tone.

"If I knew I was going to end up running around underground tunnels, I would've worn something that I don't mind getting dirty." She deadpanned. As Nick and Glynda made their way to the tunnel access, Alex went the other way in search of a good place to plant the rest of the explosives, which would give Nick time to make his way to the depot.

With the lack of guards in the building, Alex was about to head outside and plant the explosives outside by the communication tower, until he walked by the staircase that leads to the basement. The familiar sounds of radio chatter and paperwork being shuffled around, on top of orders being relayed back into the radios was all Alex needed to confirm that he found their command element. Now that he thought about it, the position of the communication made more sense when you know that they're using the basement as their command center. No doubt the Atlesians are using that basement window to route the cables from the tower, to their radio equipment inside, which now gave him a brilliant idea. But first he needed to take out the soldier that left the room and is now walking upstairs. Alex quickly hugged the wall and waited for the poor sap to reach the top of the stairs.

The soldier was only trying to use the restroom and maybe take a quick smoke break, as Specialist Schnee wouldn't let them smoke inside the buildings, but instead he got knocked the fuck out by the buttstock of Alex's rifle. Alex gently lowered the body to the ground before picking up the Atlesian rifle and quietly making his way to the door. When he got there, he was surprised at the apparent design flaw of the door.

" _The door opens inward, so why is there a pull handle on the push side of the door? Who's the dumbass who installed that? Oh well, makes things easier for me."_ He was ready to do some crazy jury-rigging with the Atlesian rifle to jam the door shut but with the poor design flaw, all he had to do was slip the rifle through the handle to bar the door shut and trap the Atlesian command element inside. He then grabbed the remaining charges to place them by the top of the stairs. The explosive charges they were using were small and box shaped with an adhesive surface if you wanted to stick them to a wall, and three different settings for detonation. The default setting was with a remote detonator, which is what the charges placed all over town were set to. The other options were time-delay, where it can be set to automatically detonate after a max of 5 minutes, or to proximity detonation, essentially turning them into a claymore mine. It's a cheap, compact and versatile explosive charge designed by the Atlesians, which the Russians found to be very impressive. Too bad they're going to be used against their creators. With the last four charges set to proximity, the Atlesians will be in for a nasty surprise if they un-jam the door. Nodding in satisfaction, Alex carefully stepped away from the doorway and made his way outside where he can set up for his part of the attack.

" _Me and Goodwitch are in position to hit that IFV from the rear. It kind of looks like a cross between a BTR and an American LAV."_ Nick radioed to Alex.

"Perfect timing. Ivan, Greg, you still there?" Alex asked.

" _Still here."_ Greg replied.

" _Standing by."_ Ivan replied.

"Alright…let's do this shit."

 **Greg's position**

 _"Alright…let's do this shit."_

The loud crack of a sniper round going off echoed through the town before it hit its mark. The second guy in the machine gun nest jumped in surprise at the sight of his buddy going down, but soon ended up just like him when he felt the impact of a follow up shot against his head. In rapid succession, the snipers and other soldiers on the rooftops were going down, one after the other. Some of them managed to get a few shots out, but they had no clue where the shots were coming from, so they were easy pickings. At the same time, the sound of machine gun fire and charges going off quickly overtook the sounds of Greg's rifle. From his position, you can see various red, blue, yellow and other brightly colored clouds spread all over the area. The cool thing was that they sounded like real explosives when they went off. The Atlesian soldiers may not be up to par, but at least their equipment is decent.

 **Ivan's position**

 _"Alright…let's do this shit."_

Ivan didn't hesitate when he quickly drew the curtains and started lighting up the apartment complex. Unaware of what was happening, the Atlesians inside the building tried to rush out the front door only to walk right into a wall of machine gun fire. The few that were either smart enough to use another exit or lucky enough to survive the initial hail of bullets, quickly found cover and were shooting back at Ivan. Using one hand to keep control of the weapon, he used his other to reach for the detonator to trigger the charges. There was a slight pause that followed when he squeezed the trigger right before a symphony of explosives went off. You can hear the yells of surprise from the soldiers all over the area, whether they got blown away by the blast or just narrowly got out of the way. Any of the lucky ones were either taken down by Ivan, or picked off by Greg.

 _"Heads up Ivan, I'm heading towards your position."_ Greg said. The rooftops were cleared and most of the stragglers were being mopped up by Ivan, so now seemed like a good time to link up with him.

"Copy that. I think Alex and Nick should be circling around soon." Ivan replied.

 **Nick and Glynda**

 _"Alright…let's do this shit."_

The parking lot behind the apartment complex was sparsely occupied, save for a passenger truck, a couple of jeeps, the IFV and a few soldiers who were either sitting on top of it or standing nearby, talking to each other. From where Nick and Glynda were at, it was the perfect position as Nick had a clear shot at the rear of the IFV. No one really specified how taking down vehicles worked in this exercise, so he's just going on the assumption that a direct hit on the rear of the IFV would take it down. The reusable RPG he was using bore a strong resemblance to an RPG-7, with the exception that it was for training purposes only and fired fake rockets filled with that sticky, brightly colored, paint-like powder. When the sounds of sniper and machine gun fire started, alongside the explosives going off, Nick took a knee and fired a rocket straight into the rear of the vehicle, covering its gray and white exterior with a nice neon pink coating. The men on top of the IFV were blown off from the impact, while the guys standing by it were hit with the "fragmentation" and knocked to the ground.

"Here, hold this for a second." Nick said to Glynda, tossing his RPG to her before she could even respond. She caught it with ease and watched as Nick took off towards the IFV with his rifle, ready to clear out the depot. The two guys that got knocked off the IFV were taken out before they could even get up. Another three came running out of the building with the intent to circle around and flank Ivan's position, but didn't expect for the depot to get hit and were quickly disposed of. The sound of a hatch opening up brought Nicks attention back to the IFV, as a soldier started to climb out of it. He didn't get too far and was immediately shot "dead", leaving his body slumped over halfway out of the hatch. Hearing other people inside the vehicle, Nick grabbed the "dead" soldier and threw him unceremoniously to the ground before prepping a grenade and tossing it into the open hatch. The yells of the other soldiers inside were silenced when the grenade went off. After one last sweep, the area was cleared of Atlesians and Nick signaled for Glynda to come over, who quickly ran to him with his RPG in hand.

"Thanks for warning me that you were going to throw this at me." She said with a sarcastic tone while handing the RPG back to him.

"Sorry about that, but I needed to rush them before they got up." Nick replied.

"So, what now?" She asked.

"Now, we 'tactically acquire' one these jeeps for us to use." The jeep Nick was eyeing looked like a generic GAZ vehicle with an open top but still had raised sides for protection. He opened up the driver side door, only to be met with a minor inconvenience. "Is that a fucking key ignition? What kind of military vehicle needs a key to start?" As far as he's aware, no military force on Earth had vehicles that needed keys to start.

"Maybe one of those guys has a key on them?" Glynda suggested.

"Forget it, I know what to do." Glynda watched as he knocked away the cover on the steering column and began messing with the wiring underneath. Before she knew it, he connected some wires together and the jeep started up.

"And where did you learn to do that?" She asked with a critical tone.

"I worked for my uncle who was an auto mechanic that also knew how to fix all sorts of appliances and things around the house. He taught me a lot of stuff." He replied as he hopped in the driver's seat. She was not expecting that answer.

"Impressive. I would never have guessed you would possess certain skills in intellect and with that, I apologize for assuming you weren't very bright." Glynda said with sincerity. Out of the four Russians, Nick took the longest for her to warm up to, but now she holds him to the same regard as Alex and the other's.

"Oh, trust me, I'm terrible at things like math or science, but it doesn't matter because I'm better at working with my hands. I leave that 'book smart' stuff to Greg or Alex." Nick explained while motioning for her to get in the passenger's seat, which she obliged.

"Well I'm glad you're aware of your limitations, unlike some people." She said while buckling up in preparation for what's to come. Nick just gave her a reassuring smile in response. At least she thought it was. It's hard for her to tell facial expressions when they wear those balaclavas.

"Alright guys, I got the jeep. Ivan, Greg, get ready because I'm picking you guys up first." He said into his radio.

 _"Copy, we're in the restaurant right across the street from the apartment complex."_ Greg radioed back.

"Hang on Miss Goodwitch, this ride's going to get interesting." Nick said with his trademark grin.

"Oh joy." Glynda replied unenthusiastically.

 **Alex's position**

Alex was crouched outside the police station, right by the basement window, getting ready for his part of the attack. As soon as he gave the order, all hell broke loose within the town. Alex aimed his rifle into the basement window and emptied a full magazine into the room to start things off. He wasn't sure if he actually hit anyone because of the awkward angle, but it should be enough for the command element to take cover, if the yelling was any indication. While the Atlesians were getting over the initial shock, Alex readied the two CS gas cannisters he carried and tossed them into the basement. Now the yelling he heard was more prevalent and mixed with coughing and gaging fits, on top of the sound of them banging on the door, desperate to escape. And just to make them more miserable, he tossed a flashbang into the room just for good measure. It might have been over kill, but Ironwood did tell them to not hold back. Go big or go home. However, Alex wasn't completely merciless as he at least left the window open to allow some of the gas to vent out.

 _"Alright guys, I got the jeep. Ivan, Greg, get ready because I'm picking you guys up first."_ Nick radioed to everyone.

 _"Copy, we're in the restaurant right across the street from the apartment complex."_ Greg replied.

"I'll meet you guys there." Alex replied while he reloaded his rifle.

 _"We'll keep an eye out for you."_ Greg said.

 _"Get ready to move, the rest of their forces are already on their way back."_ Nick said in reference to the chatter he heard from the jeeps radio. As Alex was about to take off towards Greg and Ivan's position, an Atlesian soldier jumped him from behind and tried to get Alex into a choke hold. Alex was surprised by the initial attack, but he's gotten out of this hold dozens of times and this was no different. Letting go of his rifle to let it hang by the sling, he hit the Atlesian with a couple of rear elbow strikes before grabbing him, and tossing him over his shoulder onto the hard ground. He then grabbed his rifle and finished off the soldier while he was still down.

At the same time, explosions could be heard from inside the police station, indicating that the command element must've gotten the door open. Knowing it was time to leave, he started to move out onto the street, but the sound of a vehicle approaching made him stop and look, only to see a jeep occupied by Atlesians with a mounted machine gun in the back. Without a doubt that it was heading for Greg and Ivan's position, Alex decided he should take it out before they get there. Staying off to the side, he waited for it to get a little closer before aiming for the driver. Alex took out the driver with ease, but instead of stopping, the jeep kept going. The drivers foot was still on the accelerator and the way his body fell onto the steering wheel caused it to head right for Alex. He had to jump out of the way to avoid being run over by the runaway jeep, who's passengers already jumped out over the sides. Luckily, the mobile communication tower was there to stop the jeep. Structurally, the tower was fine except for the jeep shaped dent on the side. The internals are another story, if the electrical sparks, smoke and weird noises coming from the tower's control panel had anything to say. Safe to say that the tower most likely doesn't work anymore.

"That's probably coming out of our paychecks." Alex commented to himself. They weren't trying to destroy Atlas property, it just kind of happened. He hoped Ironwood was an understanding man. After taking out the soldiers that jumped out of the jeep, Alex was finally able to make a dash to Greg and Ivan for pickup. Aside from a few stragglers, most of the Atlesians were lying "dead" on the ground. In all honesty, Alex couldn't believe the luck they've been having since they arrived on Remnant. He thought that maybe the four them had some sort of luck semblance that they shared, but tossed that thought aside when he realized how stupid it sounded.

Speaking of luck, Nick's jeep came around the corner, honking for Greg and Ivan, who immediately jumped in the back, followed by Alex a few seconds later. With everyone accounted for, it was now time to get the fuck out of here.

"Blackjack one, Fireteam AGNI; VIP secured, en route to extraction point for evac." Greg radioed to the bullhead that was supposed to pick them up.

" _Copy that AGNI, I'm on my way, ETA 10 minutes."_ The pilot responded.

"I think Gary likes the callsign we gave him." Greg commented. Gary Blauman was the name of the pilot who flew team CFVY to Oxford on the day it fell and the day the Russians arrived at Beacon. Despite almost never being seen without his pilot helmet on, he's a nice, middle aged guy who was immediately befriended by the Russians. In exchange for doing favors or payment, Gary would happily give them a lift into the city and occasionally, give them a lift back after a night of heavy drinking. It could be three in morning, and Gary will still be there to pick them up, no questions asked. So, it was no surprise that the Russians wanted him to be their evac pilot, even giving him a callsign to make it official, which he gladly accepted.

"Trucks coming up behind us!" Ivan yelled. It appears some their forces circled back to town.

"Alright guys, hang tight, because this is going to get rough and this jeep is weirdest thing I've ever drove. Seriously, why is there a clutch pedal if it's an automatic transmission?" Nick yelled to everyone, who immediately grabbed on to something for the bumpy ride. As they drove past the police station, Alex saw the form of Winter on her knees, having a bad coughing fit. She looked up just long enough for Alex to catch a glimpse of her face. It was only for a split second, but he didn't need any longer to know that she was pissed.

 **Atlas command center, a few moments earlier**

 _"We've searched the immediate area, but there is no sign of the enemy ma'am."_ A captain radioed to Winter.

"What about the lieutenant and his men?" She asked.

 _"They're all 'dead' ma'am."_ He replied.

"All of them?" She asked in disbelief.

 _"We checked and there's no survivors. Based on what we see, it looks like they were ambushed."_ Winter furrowed her brow. This was not at all what she was expecting.

"Then they must be making their way to the town. Captain, have your forces set up a wider perimeter in the surrounding areas of the town to entrap them. I'll consolidate our outer forces to assist. In the meantime, I need you and some of your men back in town to bolster our defenses. They may already be here."

 _"Right away ma'am!"_ The captain replied. While the soldiers recalled the outer forces, Winter began anxiously pacing around the room. The current casualty count of her troops was now almost a third of her men.

 _"How can four men cause this kind of mayhem? What are they? More importantly, what in the world are our men doing?!"_ These were just a few of the questions that ran through Winter's head. Ironwood entrusted her to take command, and so far, she felt she wasn't doing a very good job. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of sniper and machine gun fire coming from outside. Time seemed to stop for the rooms occupants, and then the explosives went off, followed by yelling coming from outside.

 _"We're under attack! They're here in the town! They're…gah!"_ Machine gun fire and explosions drowned out the radio call. Winter grabbed her sword and made her way to the door, but was stopped when one of the soldiers shouted, drawing her attention.

"Look out!" The soldier was pointing towards the window, or more specifically, the form of Alex aiming his rifle at them. Winter and her soldiers took cover behind some of the desks while Alex emptied a magazine on full auto onto them. Two soldiers weren't quick enough and fell to Alex's rifle. As soon as the shooting stopped, they heard the sound of two objects being thrown into the room. Assuming they were fragmentation grenades, the Atlesians stayed down behind the desks until they exploded. Only the explosion was more of a loud "pop", followed by a loud hissing noise. Winter thought it was a smoke grenade at first, but one whiff of the air determined it to be something worse.

"Gas! Everyone out!" She shouted. The three remaining soldiers made a run for the door in hopes to escape the gas, but were unable to get it open. They kept trying to pull it open, but it just wouldn't budge.

"The door's jammed!" One of them shouted back. They desperately tried to pull the door open and were banging on it for anyone on the outside. The gas was quickly filling the room up and the Atlesians were already feeling the effects taking place.

"*Cough*, Move it!" Winter shouted between coughs. She moved a soldier aside and was preparing to force the door open, but stopped when the sound of another object being thrown into the room was heard. Only instead of another gas canister, it was a flashbang this time.

All five of Winter's senses were in utter disarray. She was temporarily blinded by the flash and the ringing in her ears was unbearable. Then there was that tingling sensation of CS gas on her skin, on top of that distinctive odor it produced. Tears were already running down her face, which only reacted with the gas and she was coughing up a storm. The worst part was that the room was so thick with the gas, that you could taste it. Finally, the gas was too overpowering for Winter, and she was unable to prevent herself from emptying her stomach contents onto the floor. She's going to have to brush her teeth for an hour and use extra strength mouthwash if she wants to get that vile taste of vomit, mucus, tears and CS gas out of her mouth.

Eventually the ringing in her ears stopped and her vision came back, though the air was still thick with gas. When it came to Aura and gas, so long as you got away from the gas, you would be fine. However, lingering too long would drastically drain your Aura, as it works twice as hard to protect the user from internal damage such as those caused by nerve or blood agents. Being locked in a small room with poor ventilation is a perfect example of gas being dangerous to an Aura user. CS gas isn't lethal per se, but it's still not a good idea to be in it for too long. Winter had to get herself and her men out of that room.

Pushing through the burning and irritation, she found her way to the door and placed her hand on it to summon a glyph that enclosed the door with the iconic Schnee family crest. With intense focus and concentration on her part, the steel door was slowly being covered in ice. She kept this up until the whole door was encased in ice where Winter then reeled her fist back and struck with an Aura enhanced punch, shattering the door into little pieces.

"Go!" She shouted to remaining three soldiers. While they made their way towards the exit, Winter went to grab the bodies of the two soldiers who got shot. They were paralyzed, but still conscious and she wasn't going to let them lay there in a CS gas filled room. Hoisting both of them over her shoulders, she started making her way towards the exit, but the sounds of explosives going off and the other three men yelling made her step back. It was a good thing she did, because one of the men came flying down from the top of the staircase, covered in neon green powder. She looked towards the top of the stairs and saw the other two men down for the count, also covered in bright colored powder. With the other two guys on her shoulders, she quickly ran them up to the top of the stairs before grabbing the guy that got blown away, and setting him down in the hallway with the others. Knowing she couldn't do anything else for them other than getting out of the gas filled room, Winter made her way outside to get some fresh air and help her men fight off the enemy.

Most people would agree that aside from being a skilled Huntress and Atlesian specialist, Winter Schnee is the epitome of beauty, grace and elegance. Men wish to be with her, while women wish to be her. However, if you were to look at her now…you might get the wrong idea. Her hair was disheveled and unkempt, tears ran down her face alongside mucus from her nose, and there were bits of vomit mixed in with drool on her chin. On top of that she reeked of CS gas and was still having a bad coughing fit. After wiping her face clean while taking deep breathes, she took in her surroundings and witnessed the aftermath of the Russian attack on her forces, falling to her knees from dizziness caused by the gas. Bodies were sprawled out all over the place, most of the area was covered in the bright colored powder from explosives and of course, the jeep that was crashed into the communication tower. And that was just what she could see.

 _"How is this possible?"_ She asked herself. All they had to do was guard a prisoner from four men. They had the numbers, the logistics, the equipment and everything else that was in their favor. This was only a training exercise and yet it all went so wrong for them. As she continued to mull over her thoughts, the sound of a jeep driving by got her attention. Time slowed down for Winter as she saw the occupants of the jeep. She ignored Glynda sitting in the passenger seat, and focused her attention on _them._ The one's who did this. The one's who dared make a fool of herself, of Ironwood, of Atlas! As they passed, she made brief eye contact with Alex, and suddenly she felt a new surge of energy run through her body.

"Specialist Schnee! Are you all right?" Winter was so focused on the Russian, that she didn't even notice the captain's arrival. He jumped out of his jeep to help her up, but she swatted his arm away to get up on her own.

"Captain, have your men pursue the enemy vehicle and radio our remaining forces to push eastward to cut them off from escape." She said in a cold, commanding tone.

"Our main communications are down, so we'll have to use our emergency frequency." The captain replied.

"Get to it captain." She said while having another coughing fit and getting a concerned look from him.

"Are you sure you're all right ma'am?"

"I'm fine captain. Radio our forces and then join the pursuit of the enemy." She said while climbing into his jeep.

"Yes ma'am!" As the captain radioed for the remaining Atlas forces to converge east, Winter checked her Aura levels and was surprised to see that it almost in the red. She wasn't in the gas very long, but the high concentration of it in a small room really took a toll on her. But she didn't care. She had a bone to pick with the Russians. Her mission was to stop them and while she intends to do that, it just became personal. They made herself and Atlas look like fools, and they're going to pay for it.

Failure is not an option.

 **A/N: Goddammit, now I have to write a third part. Oh well, you guys are worth it. You motivate me to get off my lazy ass and keep writing, so thanks for that.**

 **Same deal: message, review, critique etc.**

 **Again, thank you for the 100 follows**

 **Hawk out.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Man this took awhile. School, writers block, procrastination and sheer laziness are to blame. Anyway here's the final part of this arc.**

Chapter 13: Atlas vs Spetsnaz, Part III

 **The amphitheater**

"No offense Weiss, but your sister looks like she just crawled out of a dumpster." Coco teased. However, it fell on deaf ears as Weiss looked upon the screen with a very concerned face. Growing up, she revered Winter in the highest esteem, hoping to be like her one day. She believed that Winter was the closest someone can be to perfection, while having a childlike fantasy that Winter was some sort of superhero who had everything under control and nothing bad can happen to her. That fantasy subsided over time as Weiss grew and became more aware of the realities of life but seeing her sister in such a compromising position on screen was almost too much for her to handle.

"Winter…" Weiss whispered to herself.

"You know she's not in actual danger, right?" Ren said matter of factly, only to earn a very dirty look from Weiss. However, Ren remained unfazed. "Just saying."

"Don't worry Weiss, I'm sure your sister is going to be okay. I don't think Alex, or the others intend to hurt her." Ruby tried to reassure her partner, but Weiss was having a hard believing that. She recalled the first day when she got the shit beat out of her and a chair smashed across her back. It ended with her getting a nasty bruise on her spine that took over a week to heal, on top of getting an x-ray and being prescribed pain medication. And that was during a class demonstration. Who knows what they'll do to Winter during a real training exercise. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and continued to watch the screen, knowing that Winter can take care of herself.

 **Ozpin and the teachers**

"Causing a distraction to draw the Atlesians away and then striking from multiple angles? A brilliant tactical move! Why, I couldn't have planned it better myself." Port happily commented. The jovial man enjoyed discussing fighting tactics and strategies with the Russians and already found ways to apply them to hunting Grimm. In returned, he shared his tales of bravado and heroism, which the Russians found interesting…for the first forty-five seconds. From that point on it just became annoying, but they'll humor the old man from time to time.

"Fascinating, the pixilation and multi-scale colors of their camouflage causes a disruption of one's vision, essentially breaking up their outline and making them much harder to see over a distance. The colors being used also mean it can be used in various environments. Ingenious!" Oobleck exclaimed with much enthusiasm. Just like Ironwood, Oobleck also had a lot of questions for the Russians though his were about every little detail about Russia and Earth in general. They did their best in answering what they could but there was a lot of stuff they couldn't answer, mostly due to them not knowing the answers. Greg kindly pointed out that while they were educated, they weren't walking encyclopedias. Oobleck was understanding and hoped to have more conversations later on, especially when it came to the Russian language.

Most of the time, Alex and the guys spoke English, or the common language as it's simply called on Remnant, but when they're alone they'll sometimes speak Russian to each other. On occasion they have spoken a Russian word or two when they're talking to other people. It always ends up with a confused glance and a smooth recovery claiming that it was only slang. Oobleck is hoping that he can pick up on the language, but Russian isn't easy to learn, and the guys aren't very good language teachers, but they'll try to teach him some basics.

"In addition to the design, their clothing is made from a light yet durable material that is flame retardant and covered in a certain dye that allows it to absorb infrared radiation." Peach commented to Oobleck. Like the good doctor, she was also excited about the prospect of new information available, but it was more aimed towards the non-dust-based equipment.

Dr. Daisy Rosalina Peach is a slim, averaged height, middle aged woman about Glynda's age. She has fair skin with straight, neck length peach colored hair and eyes of the same color to complement a very gentle face. Her daily outfit consists of a white lab coat that she wears over a simple orange dress with high heels and secretary glasses, giving her the "sexy scientist" look. But that beauty is only matched by her intellect if the doctorates in physics, chemistry and Dust engineering she possesses have anything to say. When she got her hands on the Russian weapons, equipment and ammunition, it was like a birthday present for her. The new materials, mechanics and chemical compositions for her to study, fueled her sense of wonder and discovery to new levels not seen since she was a child.

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee while listening to the other three senior professors cheer on Alex and his friends. When the Russians first arrived, he debated whether he should inform some of the staff about their…unique situation. He and Alex were both aware that people will start asking questions as time went on and the best option was to gradually ease their way into Remnant society. So, he settled on informing Port, Oobleck and Peach of this confidential information who all agreed to keep quiet about it.

He then panned over to Ironwood, who seemed very calm watching the Russians make short work of his troops. He had a very neutral expression, showing no emotion at all. Ozpin was sure James would either be impressed or angry or…something. But he was just sitting up straight, hands on his lap, keeping his eyes on the screens in front of him while appearing to be in deep thought. Whatever the General is thinking or feeling, he's doing a good job of hiding it. Ozpin took another sip and winced at the bitter flavor of his coffee.

" _Vale's finest coffee…how disappointing."_ He said while adding more cream and sugar to help with the taste.

 **Winter**

As Winter and the captain drove in the direction the Russians were heading, they passed by a couple of downed vehicles and more "dead" soldiers, indicating they were on the right track. Neither of them had ever participated in a training evolution that resulted in this much chaos and destruction. She knew that even if she were to turn things around and pull off a victory, the fact that they took such severe casualties against four men would be a pyrrhic victory.

Aside from the thousands of Liens worth of damages to their equipment, the damage to Atlas's reputation was already done for. Everyone back at Beacon is watching their forces get annihilated and it won't be long before word gets out about how four men took on the Atlesian army and won. The confidence people have in Atlas's military would be shaken and filled with uncertainty for starters, but the worst part of it was that their enemies would eventually hear of this and may become bolder in their attacks in the future. Winter knew for certain that after today, things need to change.

"Captain take us to the top of that ridge, we should be able to get a fix on their location from there." She ordered, pointing to the nearby ridge. Winter was feeling slightly better but not by much. She took in a lot of gas and it would take at least a day for her to fully recover. The captain stopped the jeep at the edge of the ridge to give them a better view of the area. From what they could see, this section of the operational area was right at the eastern boundary wall and was thick with trees that remained untouched, separated only by the roads that ran through it. The trees were thick enough to prevent any vehicle from making their way through them, forcing them to stay on the roads. She panned over to see various jeeps, trucks and a couple of IFV's from different directions all making their way over to the area, but the narrow roads and impassable terrain were causing a bottleneck effect that forced the Atlesian vehicles to slow down and get into a single file column.

"If I had to guess, I think they're heading for that clearing over there." The captain said while pointing off in the distance. Winter looked to where he was pointing and saw a small clearing right before you reach the wall. It was within one of the pockets of trees and large enough for a bullhead to get in and out of for a quick escape. If their fast, they may be able to stop them from escaping.

"Can you get us over there?" She asked. The captain turned and nodded at her.

"Buckle up, it's going to be a little rough." He replied.

 **The Russians**

"God damn, this thing handles like a hard-boiled turd!" Nick shouted while trying to drive through the uneven terrain and roads that were starting to narrow. Thanks to the shape of the land, he had to be careful with his speed and how he handled turns or else he'll flip the jeep. Nick's already a good driver so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing, but he's not stupid enough to jeopardize the mission or hurt his friends by being reckless. Well,normally.

"Just focus on the road!" Alex shouted back over the sound of Ivan's machine gun. While Glynda sat in the passenger seat gripping the side handles to keep from being thrown out, Alex, Greg and Ivan were in the back taking care of the pursuing Atlesians. The rough ride made it hard for them to aim properly, but it also kept the Atlesians from doing the same. There were currently three vehicles on their tail; two jeeps and a passenger truck. They were in a staggered formation and closing in fast while soldiers took shots at the Russian vehicle. Alex and the others returned fire when it was in their favor, but they were starting to run dry and had to conserve what ammo they had left. For what the Atlesians lacked in experience and skill, they made up for with their overwhelming numbers.

"Cover the sides!" Greg shouted. The two jeeps picked up their speed and were now on both sides of the Russian vehicle with the intention to surround and force them off the road before it became too narrow. They tried shooting at them but unlike their jeep, these ones weren't open top and were fully armored including the windows. The jeep on their left sideswiped them as it made its way in front of them, narrowly avoiding a tree and positioning itself to prevent the Russians from trying to pass or speed up while the other one was in a fierce ramming contest with Nick. Each time they traded blows, Alex and the others were being thrown around in the back while Glynda gripped even harder on the handrails. They weren't sure if there was religion on Remnant, but if they didn't know better they could've sworn she was praying.

"Hang on guys, I'm going to try something that may or may not work!" Nick knew it was up to him to get everyone out of this mess.

"Just do it!" Glynda shrieked loud enough to cause the Russians to jump a little. Guess she's not a fan of intense vehicle collisions.

Nick put all his weight down onto the accelerator, causing them to rear end the front jeep with enough force to lift it up by its rear wheels and have the rear bumper get caught on the front tow point on the Russian jeep. Basically, Nick was now controlling the front vehicle by pushing it like a reverse tow truck. At the same time, he turned the wheel hard to right, slamming into other jeep and keeping up the pressure to prevent them from retaliating. The second jeep tried its hardest to push back but was having trouble keeping their wheel straight due to the rough terrain of the narrowing road. This struggle kept on for about another 30 seconds until the second jeep ran out of decent road and slammed right into a tree, totaling it. With that jeep taken care of, it was now time to get rid of the other one as well as that truck not too far behind.

By now, the road was at the narrowest point where there was only enough space for one vehicle going either way. The shoulders of the road were nonexistent with barley enough space to pull over before you either fell into a ditch, ran into large trees or rocks, or end up driving off a small cliff. In reality, these roads were designed to be hiking trails, but shit happens and now they're being used for vehicle traffic. Looking ahead, Nick saw a sharp turn coming up and knew he should take advantage of the opportunity. While increasing his speed, he quickly jerked the steering wheel to the left and right in rapid succession, causing the front jeep to swerve wildly down the road until the turn came up. As hard as he could, Nick began turning the wheel to the right, releasing the Atlesian jeep from the grip of their tow hook and straight into a ditch with a satisfying crash. Nick couldn't believe that actually worked.

"Holy shit! I can't believe that worked!" Nick exclaimed.

"Good job!" Alex commented. He looked up to see Glynda practically driving her fingernails into the handle bars and taking deep controlled breaths to try and calm her growing anxiety. It was kind of funny seeing her out of her normal character, but he'll appreciate the little things later when a truck full of Atlesians aren't shooting at him like they were right now.

"I can't get a good shot at that truck." Greg said. He managed to take out a couple of guys in the back but he's on his last mag and can't afford any misses.

"That truck has the same armor protection as the jeeps, I can't shoot through the windshield." Ivan commented while wondering why all their vehicles didn't have the same armor configuration. He looked over to see that everyone was out of grenades, rockets and other explosives.

"We're almost at the extraction point. Just a little further, then a very short run through the woods." Alex reassured them.

"Yeah, we've got another problem up ahead." Nick pointed out. Everyone looked ahead to see a side road that connects to the main road they were on coming up. Normally this would mean nothing, but the advancing Atlesian column says otherwise. Dozens of trucks, jeeps and IFV's of different configurations were making their way down that road at a steady pace, unaware that they were about to make contact with the Russians.

"Well that's fucking great." Greg sarcastically remarked. Alex however, quickly thought of plan on the spot. Unlike Nick's plan with the jeeps that would be considered crazy, his was downright stupid. He reached to grab Nick's RPG tube and tossed it to Ivan, getting confused glances from everyone.

"Dude, I'm out of rockets." Nick said.

"I know, just step on it." He replied as Nick started accelerating faster. Fortunately, this part of the road was mostly straight without any sharp turns.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Ivan asked, looking at the empty tube.

"How far do you think you can throw that?" Alex casually asked. Ivan looked at the tube, then the truck behind them, then back to Alex with an understanding grin.

"I understand." He replied. The tube isn't at all heavy to the average guy but to a big strong guy like Ivan, it's like he's holding a carboard tube. He tested the weight of the RPG tube and observed the distance between them and the truck behind them. It wasn't that far behind but also not that close, about less than 80 meters give or take. Ivan held it up like he would a javelin and began to aim, but Alex waved him down.

"Not yet, wait for my go." He ordered. While Ivan maintained a ready position, Alex kept a close watch at the Atlesian column on the other road, gradually getting closer to merging onto the main road. _"Just a little closer…oh my God, there's no fucking way this is going to work."_ Alex thought to himself. The crossroads was now only a few meters away and the shape of a truck began to merge onto the road.

"Alex…" Greg said to him.

"Do it!" He shouted. Already aimed, Ivan hurled the RPG tube with all his might towards the pursuing truck. It flew straight and true in the air like an actual javelin, even having a little spin going. Finally, it found its target: dead center of the trucks windshield. The tube didn't completely break through the glass, but it did get stuck in there while completely shattering the bulletproof glass to the point where you couldn't see anything out of it. The last thing the two soldiers inside the truck were expecting was the launch tube of an RPG to come flying at them through the windshield. They did the only thing they could do for such an unexpected occurrence, which was to duck down out of the way. However, it didn't occur to the driver to hit the brakes or let his foot of the accelerator instead of the opposite, which was to keep driving forward.

At the same time, Nick zipped right past the lead truck of the column as it entered the main road, causing it to slam its brakes and the driver to scream curses at them. That is, until he realized that those jackasses were the people causing so much trouble for them. The driver reached for the radio to alert the rest of the column, but his A-driver was screaming bloody murder for them to get out of the way. He looked up to see what the hell he was yelling about and suddenly paled at the sight of an oncoming, speeding and out of control truck heading right for them.

 _"Join the military they said. It'll be fun they said."_ Were the last thoughts of the driver before the truck violently crashed into them.

"Holy shit!" Greg exclaimed. They watched in awe as the truck chasing them T-boned into the other one, sending pieces of glass, metal shards and soldiers flying into the air. It hit the other one with enough force to make it spin out and hit another truck that was following it. Not only did they get rid of the truck following them, but the wreckage of the vehicles was large enough to completely block off the road, preventing the rest of the column from pursuing them.

"Ironwood is definitely going to be pissed at us for breaking so much of his stuff." Nick joked to everyone.

"I just hope those soldiers are alright." Glynda commented. While she doesn't mind knocking Ironwood down a few pegs, she wasn't too fond about others getting hurt in the process.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Ivan said reassuringly. He was surprised that he managed to hit windshield dead center from the back of a moving vehicle. That has to be some kind of record or personal best at least.

"By the time they either clear those trucks out, find an alternate route or proceed on foot, we'll be long gone." Alex said with confidence. It should be smooth sailing from here.

 **Winter**

"I don't believe it." Winter could only stare dumbfoundedly at the scene before her. The entire column was at a standstill while men were trying to clear away the wreckage and retrieve the guys that were flown out of the trucks. No fatalities thankfully, but some of the guys are going to have to go to a hospital. Furious doesn't properly describe how Winter was feeling. It's bad enough that their host opponents have utterly humiliated herself and the confidence of the Atlesian military, but now they've gone and injured men under her command?! During a training operation?! That did it for her. Mission objective be damned, those bastards will suffer for what they did to her men. "Captain have these men take care of the injured while you take the rest of our forces and circle back around to that clearing we saw. I'm going after them." She coldly ordered to him.

"Are you sure you're up to it ma'am?" The captain replied with mild concern. He knew Specialist Schnee was tough, but that gas hit her pretty hard and she really didn't look to be in any condition to fight.

"Don't worry about me." She coldly replied with her back turned to him. In truth, she felt like shit and her Aura was low, but the anger and adrenaline kept her going. Grabbing a sniper rifle off the ground, she made her way around the wreckage and prepared to summon a glyph to help propel herself forward and catch up to the Russian vehicle. Winter doesn't normally use firearms, but in her current state, it's probably not a bad idea. She placed her foot in the summoned glyph, took a deep breath and launched herself down the road.

It didn't take long for her to cover the distance the Russians traveled down the road. Not wanting to try and take all four of them on in her weakened state, she made her way to the top of a small hill that overlooked the jeep parked alongside the road and its five occupants making their way into the woods that led into the clearing. Using the scope on the sniper rifle, she wanted to at least get a quick glance at her mysterious foes before blowing their damn heads off…or at least the equivalent with the training ammunition and what not. Too bad for her, they were completely covered and concealed with the exception of their eyes and with no notable characteristics other than their height. No matter, she had them right where she wanted them.

"I don't know who you guys are, but your luck has run out." She said to herself while lining up the back of Alex's head with the crosshairs and wrapping her finger around the trigger.

 **The Russians**

Ivan wasn't sure what made him look back over his shoulder, but it was a good thing he did. It doesn't take a genius to know what scope glint looks like.

"Sniper!" He shouted. Just like a reflex, everyone immediately dropped to the ground and went to find cover. Well, except Glynda. She was actually thrown to the ground by Greg. She wanted to be mad, but the loud crack of a sniper round going off explained everything.

"There! On the hill!" Greg yelled, pointing to Winter's position.

"Suppress fire on her and get ready to haul ass!" Alex shouted.

 **Winter**

Winter quickly took cover behind an overturned log and cursed herself for missing the shot. There was a momentary pause in the return fire and she poked her head out from behind the log…only to narrowly avoid getting shot by Greg. A few centimeters to her left and he would've nailed her right in the face. She kept down for another five seconds before popping back up to see if they were still on her, but they were already falling back into the woods. Hoping to get them before they got too deep into the woods, she readied the rifle and fired the remaining rounds at the retreating Russians. Most of the shots missed their marks by mere inches, but one round managed to find its target. She smiled with satisfaction watching the man fall to the ground before loading another magazine.

 **The Russians**

"Ivan!" Alex shouted. He ran back to him with Nick, Greg and Glynda following close behind. Ivan was laying on the ground with his hand over where the bullet hit him. In this case, his upper thigh.

"Wow, that stings." Ivan calmly said. That would be the last thing he'll say before the paralysis dust took effect. Almost immediately, his legs locked up on him, followed shortly with the rest of his body. He was still able to breath alongside seeing and being completely aware of his surroundings, such as the feeling of being dragged to cover like he was right now. It was such an odd sensation just lying there being completely aware of your surroundings and not being able to move or speak.

"Nick, you and Greg are going to have to carry him out of here." Alex said. If it were anyone else, one person would be enough. However, Ivan's a big guy and carrying him any further than about 50 meters would be hell for one person. Though Ivan isn't in any real danger, there's a principal involved that all militaries on Earth followed: A good soldier never leaves a man behind, and it'll be a cold day in hell before any of them do.

"I'll take the front, you grab his legs." Nick said to Greg. Just like in training, they positioned themselves around the casualty, with Nick sliding his hands under Ivan's arms and locking them together across Ivan's chest, while Greg positioned himself between Ivan's legs and placed his hands under his knees.

"All right, one, two, three lift!" Greg shouted. They both grunted loudly as they lifted the large man off the ground.

"He's lucky we like him." Nick joked to lighten the mood. Too bad they couldn't lighten Ivan. Glynda, not wanting to feel useless, offered to carry Nick and Greg's rifles while they carried their teammate, which they gladly accepted.

"Hurry up and make your way to the extraction zone. I'll hold her off to give you guys a head start." Alex said while loading his last magazine. He just needed to buy them a few minutes of time for them to carry Ivan out of there.

"Take these smoke grenades. You can use them to cover your escape." Greg said, motioning towards his grenade pouches.

"Good idea." Alex replied as he added the grenades to his own pouches. With Ivan being carried off, Alex turned his attention back towards the hilltop.

 **Winter**

"Where'd they go?" She was scanning the woods trying to find the remaining Russians but wasn't having any luck. Their damn camouflage pattern blended perfectly in the woods, making it hard for her to keep track of them. Based on the unconventional style of fighting she witnessed, it was safe for her to determine that these guys weren't your average, everyday Huntsmen. That just left one question for Winter: Who and what are these guys? She'll have to find out later because the blurry form of Alex running off to the side drew her attention to him. Two shots made their way towards Alex, but some trees got in the way to stop them. He returned fire, but the distance and his constant movement severely effected his accuracy.

This game of cat and mouse they were playing went on for about another two minutes with Alex zigzagging through the woods and taking pot shots at Winter while she tried to get him before he found cover behind the trees. It finally ended when Alex tossed out the smoke grenades that quickly released their contents, covering the edge of the forest with a thick, white smoke screen. Winter shot through the screen at Alex's last known location, knowing that he was making a break for it. She managed to get three shots out before the familiar clicking noise of an empty magazine started. Without any extra ammo, she tossed the rifle aside and drew her sword before making her way into the woods, knowing she's going to have to get up close and personal despite her weakened state.

 **Alex**

Hoping he bought enough time for Nick and Greg, Alex made his way through the smoke screen and further into the woods to catch up with them. Without the extra "deadweight" of Ivan, he was easily able to clear obstacles and quickly make the dash to the finish line. He jumped over a log and rounded a large tree right before seeing the clearing up ahead. It was less than 100 meters away. Just this last little stretch of forest and he was home free. Almost there…

His instincts suddenly kicked in and told that him something was coming up from behind. Not even going to question them, he ducked and rolled out of the way to narrowly avoiding getting impaled by Winter's sword. He turned around to see Winter struggling to pull her sword out of the tree it was embedded in while glaring daggers at him. Alex quickly recovered and aimed his rifle at her, but she propelled herself out of the way of his shots, leaving her sword in the tree. Despite her Aura being near breaking point, she was still able to dash across the field in quick, small bursts to avoid the gunfire. He tried to get a good shot at Winter, but she kept zipping through the woods, making for a decent shot near impossible. After the futile attempts to shoot her, his rifle finally clicked empty, which sucked because that was his last magazine. But instead of panicking, Alex simply threw his rifle to the ground and hastily drew his pistol, readying himself for Winter's counter attack.

 **Winter**

The sound of an empty weapon was all Winter needed to hear for her to strike back at Alex. Peering around the tree she was using as cover, she watched as Alex did a full 360 scan of the area with his pistol drawn and ready. One thing she'll admit about her opponent is that he's no amateur. From his footwork and movements, to his combat stance and sidearm at the ready, there's no doubt in her mind that he was highly trained.

She had to time it just right if she wanted to get the jump on Alex. Her opportunity arrived when he turned his back towards her. It was only for a moment, but she was already in motion and quickly closed the distance between her and Alex, tackling him to the ground before he even got a chance to react. He tried to retaliate by using his pistol, but she anticipated that by smacking it out of his hand and following up with a punch across his face. With Alex temporarily disoriented, Winter positioned herself behind him and wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck for the classic choke hold. She wasn't necessarily going to kill him with the hold, but merely to make him pass out from it.

Just as Winter thought Alex was about to give, she felt a sudden pain in her side that was gradually increasing with each passing second. While trying to choke him out, Winter failed to notice Alex reaching for his knife and jamming it into her side. Her Aura prevented him from breaking through the skin, but she definitely felt the pain of the knife as he continuously pressed it into her side. She eventually loosened her grip around his neck and tried to reach for his knife in his hand, but as soon as she did, Alex threw his head back into her jaw, causing her to bite her tongue and break free from Winter's embrace.

Both combatants quickly recovered and were now on their feet, facing each other. Winter raised her fists and got into a fighting stance while spitting out the blood in her mouth. Likewise, Alex also readied himself with his fists raised and holding his knife in a reverse grip. They maintained eye contact while circling each other, trying to size each other up. Finally, Winter made the first move and charged forward. But Alex was ready for her.

Instead of backing up or dodging to the side, he moved in forward to meet her head on. Winter sped towards Alex with her hand balled in a fist while keeping her other hand ready to intercept any knife strikes. Her intention was to make it look like she was going to strike his upper body but at the last second, go in for a lower body strike and a take down. However, Alex also had the same general idea, only he was a second faster in executing the attack. He dropped low and while using his right leg for balance, he kicked forward with his left, striking directly at Winter's kneecap. She bucked back from the strike and Alex immediately shot up to send a barrage of punches to her chest and midsection before finishing with a strike from his knife handle into her nose. He then grabbed hold of her hair with both hands and yanked her head down while raising his knee up so the two could get acquainted. Of course, he wasn't done yet.

As Winter recovered from the knee strike to her face, she felt herself get turned around with her arm behind her back and in a wrist lock, while Alex's other arm was wrapped around her neck. He then used the leverage he had on her to move her body forward and straight into a tree. As if getting thrown face first into a tree wasn't bad enough, Alex removed his arm from her neck and used his free hand to grab the back of her head and slam her face into the hard tree multiple times. Each time her face made contact with the tree, fuzzy spots and stars started to appear in her vision. Alex eventually stopped when he felt her body start to go limp. He released his grip and her body crumpled to the ground giving him a nice view of her bruised and slightly bloody, yet still beautiful face. Satisfied that she wasn't going to get up, he put his knife back in the sheath and went to go retrieve his pistol and rifle that were on the ground.

Her head was hurting, her body was sore, and she could taste blood, but Winter still had a little fight left in her. While Alex searched for his weapons, she used the tree to pull herself up and on her feet. Said tree just happened to be the one that her sword was still stuck in. Pushing the button on the handle, the small dagger shot out and landed in her hand, ready for use. Winter knew that in her current state, she wouldn't last another hand to hand fight against Alex so instead, she positioned the dagger in her hand for throwing. Like her sword, the dagger was custom made with the perfect weight and balance for her to use in many situations, including one's where she may need a throwing projectile.

Alex still had his back to her. Winter only had one shot, so she took the time to aim properly. Her hand reeled back…and away it went. The dagger flew straight through the air without any spin, right towards his head. Alex turned around to see Winter on her feet and aimed his pistol at her, ready to put her down. But before he could fire, something struck him in the head and he fell flat on his ass. She should've felt proud of herself for taking down her foe, but instead she felt instant regret and shock at what she just did.

"Oh no." She said with a horrified look on her face, running towards Alex. His body laid there on the ground, with her dagger sticking out of his head.

 **Alex**

At least that what it looks like from Winter's perspective. Her dagger was embedded in the center of his helmet, penetrating the protective layers but just barley missing his head. A few centimeters lower and Alex would be having a very bad day.

 _"Did this bitch just seriously throw a knife at my head?!"_ Is what he thought to himself while lying on the ground. Like any sane person, Alex was relieved that the knife missed him, but he was also more upset about the fact that he was almost killed…again. He continued to lie there on the ground, staring up at the forest canopy and the handle of Winter's knife jutting from his helmet in his peripheral vision. Speaking of which, he also saw Winter running up towards him with a very worried looking face. She skidded across the ground on her knees and ended up next to Alex's head, prepared to see the worst of what she thought she did, but instead was surprised to see that he was okay and looking pretty angry.

Alex grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at her face to distract her while he quickly got back on his feet. While Winter rubbed the dirt out of her eyes, she suddenly felt herself being yanked up by her hair and was now face to face with Alex. He had his fist reeled back in position as if he was going for an uppercut and Winter braced herself for the strike to her face. Only he didn't hit her in the face and struck in the last place she would've imagined. All the women back at Beacon winced in pain.

Contrary to popular belief, hitting a woman in the crotch is quite painful for them. Though not to the extent of what men feel, there's still a lot of nerves down there that are very sensitive to things like pain and striking there can disable a woman just as effectively as it would a man. In all her years, Winter never would've thought that someone would use such a dirty move on her. She felt a weird combination of pain, shock and a little embarrassment as Alex released his grip on her hair and fell to her knees while having her hands between her legs. On top of that, there were also some slight feelings of being violated. By no means was there any sexual intentions behind that punch, but the fact that he did technically touch her down there was enough to make Winter feel uneasy. The pain she felt between her legs was shortly replaced by him kicking her across the face, knocking her to the ground, and followed up by the new pain of Alex's boot crushing her windpipe. Just as Winter was ready to admit defeat, she was greeted with the sight of Alex's pistol aimed at her face.

"What are you… waiting for?" She managed to ask despite Alex's boot on her neck.

"Just wanted to look into the eyes of the woman who almost killed me." He cheekily replied as he pulled the trigger, hitting her right between the eyes.

With Winter taken care of, Alex holstered his pistol and grabbed his rifle of the ground before making his way back to the rest of the guys and to the bullhead that just flew by.

 **The Russians**

"Hey Alex, you got a little something on your helmet." Nick casually commented in reference to Winter's dagger still embedded in Alex's helmet.

"Yeah, it's stuck in there good." Alex replied nonchalantly as he climbed aboard.

"What happened?" Greg asked. With everyone onboard, the bullhead took off and they could finally relax.

"Ice bitch threw it and almost took my head off." Alex replied. He removed his helmet to inspect the damage and get better leverage to pull the dagger out. With a firm grip, the dagger easily slipped out of the hole in his helmet. He quickly looked it over, admiring the craftsmanship, before passing it to Greg.

"Dude, this blade is dull. I think it's for training." Greg commented with mild surprise.

"You said she threw it at you? God damn, how strong was ice bitch?" Nick asked, looking over the dagger.

"Well, Ms. Schnee is one of Ironwoods top specialists." Glynda commented. She was genuinely surprised that Alex fought against Winter and lived to tell the tale.

"Schnee? Is she related to Weiss?" Greg asked.

"Yes. Winter is Weiss's older sister." Glynda replied. Meanwhile Alex started chuckling to himself.

"Well Weiss is going to upset at me for punching her sister in the crotch." Alex commented. Right as he said that, both Nick and Greg started laughing while Glynda rolled her eyes.

"No fucking way! That's the greatest thing I've ever heard." Nick said between laughs.

"I'm not exactly sure why I did that, but it gave you guys plenty of time to fall back. So, it all worked out. By the way, how's Ivan doing?" The big guy was currently lying down in the bullheads bay, looking complexly relaxed.

"He's fine. Ms. Goodwitch said that the length of the paralysis effect varies from person to person." Greg answered before Glynda chimed in.

"Age, height, weight and overall health are some of the variables that can determine how long the effects last. Professor Peach can explain it in greater detail. For someone of Ivan's build, I'm sure he'll get over the effects quicker than most people." She explained.

"Well, even though we did suffer a casualty, I'll call this mission a success." Greg said with confidence. Compared to the casualties and damages the Atlesians suffered, plus the fact that their only casualty would be okay if it was the real thing, success is too modest of a word.

"I don't know about you guys, but I had fun." Nick commented.

"I think the Atlesians would disagree with you." Alex replied.

 _"I wonder how James' is feeling right now?"_ Glynda thought, as the docks of Beacon came into view.

 **The amphitheater**

The different number of reactions among the audience was too high to count. Everyone had various levels of emotion of what they just witnessed that ranged from shock and awe, to excitement and amazement, and even hints of worry and concern. The latter was primarily from the Atlas academy students. Seeing four men able to hold to their own against their forces was very unsettling to them. Everyone else however, was stupefied at the unorthodox strategies and fighting style of the Russians.

"Well that was a thing." Yang said to break the silence from the group. Like everyone else, she was happy that the Russians were successful against the Atlesians. The way they fought however, is still something that the brawler can't see herself doing in the near future. Sneaking around, avoiding direct confrontation and ambushing enemies does not compute in Yang's mind.

"Did Alex really punch Weiss's sister in the uh…you know, that area?" Jaune carefully asked. Growing up in a predominately female household, Jaune was taught early on about how to treat women with respect, be chivalrous and all that other stuff that has yet to help him land a date with Weiss…or any other girl so far. And yet, he just witnessed Alex say "fuck those rules" with how he dealt with Winter.

"Yeah. That really happened." Coco answered. Like the rest of the girls in the audience, she felt what Winter was feeling between her legs…and it wasn't the good kind of feeling. A childhood memory of her playing dodgeball and failing to dodge suddenly came to mind.

"Parachuting from like a million feet in the air? Mindless destruction and violence? People getting hurt? Weiss's sister getting the snot beat out of her? Augh! Ren, I can't take this roller coaster of excitement!" Nora practically shouted in Ren's face while vigorously shaking the poor boy. The young man also shared her enthusiasm but was much better at keeping his excitement to himself.

"Hey Weiss, are you doing alright?" Ruby asked her partner in a caring tone. While Ruby enjoyed watching the Russians kicking ass and taking names, she couldn't help but notice the growing look of worry on Weiss's face whenever her sister was on screen. She'd feel the same way if it was Yang out there, so she could relate.

"My sister was humiliated in front of the entire school and could possibly be injured. How do you think I'm feeling?!" She snapped to Ruby. Weiss knew that snapping at Ruby was uncalled for, but it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. The way Alex fought against Winter was so savage and unnecessarily cruel. It completely goes against her upbringing. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling, it's just hard to watch, you know?" Watching a loved one get bested and "killed" on screen is indeed hard to watch. But the most unsettling thing for her was how casual he was when he "killed" Winter. Ruby happily accepted Weiss's apology with a friendly hug, which Weiss was quick to return.

"If anything, I don't think there was any personal animosity towards your sister. I believe Alex just got caught up in the moment." Velvet reasoned from a logical view. His actions are no doubt questionable, but she at least tries to see things from their perspective.

"And if I'm not mistaken, Alex did show her mercy at first. It was only when your sister got up and threw the knife, that he finished her off." Pyrrha added. She wasn't exactly defending his actions, but she also remembered him talking about showing mercy and giving your enemy a chance to surrender. Unless of course they refuse, then you're left with no choice.

"Well that knife almost nailed him in the face, so I can see him being a little pissed about that." Neptune commented.

"Speaking of which, I don't recall any of them taking the slightest bit of damage and yet that knife broke through his Aura like nothing." Sun pointed out and now everyone was starting to notice other little things like that. Well except for Blake.

"Huh, that is weird. If anything, it would've knocked him down and bounce off of him." Velvet commented.

"They're definitely in shape and athletic, but I just noticed they don't use Aura to help with their jumps or any type of acrobatic skills." Ren added. Blake just looked off to the side, knowing the reason why the Russians don't use Aura to help in fights.

"And now that I think about it, they never once confronted anyone directly in combat. I mean I get that they were trying to be stealthy at first but even when all the fighting started, they used ambush style attacks and stayed behind cover most of the time. The only actual fight was Alex and Weiss's sister, and that looked more like Alex trying to disable and get away from her." Pyrrha observed.

"And I don't think anyone has ever seen them use their Semblances." Jaune added. He thought that maybe he wasn't the only guy who didn't have their semblance unlocked.

"Hey Blake, you've been pretty quiet. Do you have any insight?" Ruby asked. Of course, she knew the reason and was debating on whether to tell the rest of the group. Everybody in their group was already aware of her heritage and Alex is pretty chill and understanding despite what people may think. Plus, when he said that she couldn't keep things hidden, he could've have easily been talking about himself.

 _"Technically, he doesn't have leverage over me anymore. I hope he can forgive me."_ Blake took a deep breath. "Alright guys, what I'm about to say needs to stay between us." All sets of eyes were on her.

"Oh, this sounds good." Yang said with a grin.

"I'm serious guys, you can't tell anybody." She said with a serious tone while identifying who's probably not good at keeping a secret. Nora, Ruby, and Yang came to mind first. Sun and Neptune, being not from Beacon, might tell their friends. And then there's Jaune who might let it slip out inadvertently. _"I shouldn't have said anything. Oh well, too late now."_

"Our lips are sealed, now spill Belladonna!" Coco was eager at the thought of new information on Alex and the gang.

"Well, when Alex and I were talking to each other in the infirmary the other day, he promised not to reveal my heritage and even entrusted me with a secret about him and the other's as a sign of trust." Blake began explaining while everyone leaned in closer.

"But we know about your heritage." Weiss commented.

"Nevermind that, what do you know about them?" Yang asked with an excited smile. Everyone else had the same general expression.

"The reason why they don't confront enemies head on, the reason why we've never seen them use their semblances and the reason why it looks like they don't use their Auras…is because they don't have Auras." Everyone was staring wide eyed at Blake as if she had a dick growing out of her forehead.

"No way. I don't believe you." Neptune answered with skepticism.

"Professor Ozpin himself couldn't unlock their Auras." Blake replied.

"So, you're saying that this whole time they've been fighting without an Aura?" Pyrrha asked and Blake nodded. There was brief Pause as everyone processed the information that was just revealed.

"Winter could've killed him!" Weiss suddenly realized. Sure, she was upset at Alex, but she also had a lot of respect for him, and the thought of him dying superseded her feelings of animosity.

"Yeah, but he kicked her ass!" Nora exclaimed.

"Only because she was handicapped." Ren commented while everyone looked at him to continue. "Winter's Aura was severely drained, on top of being in a weakened state by that gas he used on her."

"That's why they don't have us use weapons or Semblances in class." Yang just realized she would've killed Ivan on that first day. Then again, she could've also been killed by him that day, so it evens out. Kinda.

"They still shouldn't be taken lightly, as we've seen today." Velvet said. She didn't know if she should be afraid or not. On one hand, she just learned that she could wipe the floor with any of them. On the other, they've managed to stay alive this long without an Aura and no doubt they're formidable foes who can improvise, adapt and overcome. Plus, there's that killer instinct they possess that she'll never have.

"That just leaves the question of where they learned to fight so…differently." Ruby commented.

"More like it adds to the number of questions we have about those guys." Coco added. Seriously, it's like she knows these guys, yet doesn't know them at the same time.

 _"No Auras and they're still better fighters than me. How can I match up to that? What am I doing here?"_ Jaune thought to himself.

 **The Teachers**

"Ah, the age-old debate of quality versus quantity. Both have their advantages, but quality seems to have won this day." Port happily commented.

"I agree. Their ability to adapt to new situations and improvise on the spot is quite remarkable." Oobleck replied.

"Oh dear, it looks Alex is going to need a new helmet. I should be able to make one of similar composition and design." Peach said with a smile.

While the other teachers and faculty applauded the Russian triumph, Ozpin looked over to see how Ironwood is doing. He wanted to know what the General was thinking, but he got up and walked out of the viewing area without showing any emotion or uttering a single word before Ozpin could say anything.

 _"What's on your mind James?"_ Ozpin thought to himself.

 **Cinder**

"I didn't realize there was a fourth one."Mercury said while keeping his eye on the screen. He, Emerald and Cinder decided to go with the flow and see what all the fuss about Alex and the others was about. Turns out they're not a bunch of rent-a-cops. After watching them successfully fight the Atlesian military and win, they could understand why people made a big deal about them.

"From what I've heard, they teach a set of courses unique to Beacon that seem very popular according to everyone." Emerald commented.

"How unique?" Mercury asked.

"Aside from the physical conditioning, they're teaching them about counterterrorism, how to fight using unconventional methods and even how to kill other people." Emerald replied. That last one was not something she would expect a Huntsman academy to teach.

"Considering what we just saw, I'm not going to disagree with those claims." Mercury replied. Despite the Russians now being considered a possible threat, he'll admit watching them destroy Atlas's army was pretty fucking cool.

While Emerald and Mercury continued talking to each other, Cinder was sitting silently behind them in deep thought. She was… impressed with what she saw. Their cunning strategy, ruthless efficiency and brutal treatment of the Atlesians was something to admire. She also enjoyed watching Alex's fight against Winter. It's not every day you encounter a "hero" who doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a fallen foe. That earned her respect.

With that in mind, she needs to be wary about them being a possible threat. She won't inform her superiors just yet, as she needs more information about them to determine if they'll be a large enough threat. But, it's going to be hard to find information about them as there's practically no record of them. Cinder searched Beacon and Vale's databanks for any useful information, but all she could find is very basic information like their names. It'll be a few more days before the virus arrives for the next phase, so she might as well use the spare time to do a little espionage on them the old fashion way. One thing's for certain, her superiors would love to know that the Atlesian military is not in the best shape, especially if four men took them on and came out victorious.

 _"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Alex?"_ Cinder thought before pulling out her scroll and planning her next move.

 **A/N:**

 **Remember when I said that I'll try to keep things logical and realistic?**

 **Remember when I also said that stuff may be exaggerated for entertainment purposes?**

 **Keep that in mind as you read about stuff that would only happen in Call of Duty or a Micheal Bay film.**

 **PM me if you have something to say.**

 **Other than that, thanks a bunch and keep cool**

 **Hawk out**


	14. Chapter 14

**Alright, I know this is a little shorter and not much really happens, but think of it like the calm before the storm.**

Chapter 14: Why can't we be friends?

 **Ozpin's office, 1400 the next day**

Ironwood hasn't been seen or heard from since yesterday's defeat at the hands of the Russians. Instead of prying, Ozpin decided to let Ironwood be alone with his thoughts until the general was ready to talk. It wasn't until this morning that Ozpin received a call from Ironwood wanting a debrief with Alex and the gang. The interesting thing was that James didn't sound at all upset. Winter was another story however, as she had to practically beg Ironwood to attend the debrief. It took some convincing on Ozpin's part to get Alex to allow Winter in on the meeting, but in the end, he gave the okay. Of course, he only agreed in order to get the inevitable one-way bitch fest from Winter done and over with. With that in mind, the guys agreed that they should use this time try to ease any possible tension that may have arisen between themselves and the Atlesians. It's better for everyone if the Russians and Atlesians are on good terms with each other.

"Gentlemen, thank you for your time. I apologize for waiting until now to debrief yesterday's operation, but I had other matters to attend to, as well as needing time to collect my thoughts." Ironwood said in a calm tone. In front of him sat the guys dressed in casual attire while Winter was standing next to him in her normal uniform with her real sword on her hip and looking much better than she did yesterday thanks to proper rest and a nice shower. Though Ozpin was there at his desk, he was merely there to spectate and maybe add a comment now and again.

"It's no problem sir." Greg replied. In truth, it was a good thing Ironwood wasn't around to talk yesterday. After they got back from the forest, they immediately went to go shower and get food before they tackled the tedious but necessary task of cleaning their weapons. Since the first day of basic, weapon cleaning and maintenance has been engraved in their heads to the point that it's become second nature to clean them after use. What the guys didn't expect was how long it took to clean their weapons. Another downside of using those paralysis bullets is that they leave your weapons completely fucked up, especially when used excessively. By the time they managed to clean out all the gunk and build up, it was well past sundown and there was no way in hell they were going to do anything else that evening.

"Let me start off by congratulating you for yesterday's success. You've definitely surpassed my expectations while managing to keep me guessing on your next move." He spoke in a surprisingly friendly tone.

 _"He seems to be in a good mood. And here I thought he'd be super pissed."_ Alex thought.

"But…" Ironwood followed up in a sterner tone with a growing scowl on his face.

 _"Spoke too soon."_

"I have 40 men in the infirmary who won't be fit for duty for at least a month, 9 heavily damaged vehicles, two that are completely totaled and unsalvageable, and countless equipment that needs to be replaced! That's 600,000 liens worth of damages!" Ironwood slammed his fist on Ozpin's desk for emphasis, earning an unamused look from Ozpin and an icy glare from Winter. "And all of this during a training operation in front of hundreds of people! Do you have any idea how this makes us look?!"

 _"Ah, there's the anger."_ If Ironwood was trying to intimidate the Russians with yelling, he needs to step his game up. Aside from the fact they're not part of Atlas or Ironwood's jurisdiction, they've dealt with higher ups that can scare the Grimm into submission with just a look.

"It makes you look weak and incompetent to the world?" Nick asked with a seemingly innocent tone. He wished he could've taken a picture of Ironwood and Winter's face when he said that. Before either of them could respond, Alex stepped in to fan the flames.

"With all due respect, you were the one who wanted a demonstration and told us not to hold back." The two Atlesians looked towards Alex with looks of contempt, but Alex was unfazed while sitting in his relaxed and lazy position. "You guys should really view this as a learning experience though."

"Go on." Ironwood said in a calmer tone.

"Would you rather find out about the poor state of your army during simulated combat against friendly forces or in a real fight that results in their deaths or the innocent people you're trying to protect?" Both Ironwood and Winter looked at each other before looking back at Alex to continue. "Look, Atlas is the Superpower of Remnant. Largest economy, leader of technological innovation and the strongest military. But is it really fair to claim the title of strongest military if you're literally the only military on Remnant?" Alex asked, not even trying to sit up straight.

"He has a point James." Ozpin commented. While Ironwood and Winter took a moment to mull over Alex's questions, Ozpin smiled inwardly at the idea that there's somebody who can get Ironwood to think twice and hopefully make more rational decisions.

"If it's any consolation, we really weren't trying to hurt your men or damage your equipment." Greg reassured the Atlesians who looked like they finish their thoughts. Finally, Ironwood stood tall and sighed deeply.

"You're right. I can't be angry at you, because you did nothing wrong." Ironwood conceded to the guys who were slightly surprised by it. "As for what you said Alex, I suppose we can't call ourselves the best if we're the only one out there."

"You can't really blame yourselves." Ivan commented.

"If you want my thoughts, just look at the state of the world right now." Alex said, while Ironwood, Winter and even Ozpin motioned for him to continue." The most recent conflict that involved fighting against other people was the Faunus revolution, and of course the Great war that took place almost a hundred years before that. Since then, there have been no conflicts between nations or each other. Why? Simple: the Grimm. Nobody is going to wage a war while the threat of a common enemy that can easily overwhelm any Kingdom if they let their guard down for even a second, is out there. With that in mind, the Atlesian military has no military rival or threat other than the Grimm, which I can assume their proficient in dealing with?" He looked to Ironwood and Winter who both nodded in agreement.

"But now you have groups like the White Fang conducting an insurgency that nobody knows how to deal with." Nick added while the Atlesians had concerned looks on their faces. Though they hate to admit it, it's true that they don't know how to properly handle these attacks. As soon as they get troops out there, the enemy is long gone, and the damage has been done.

"Like we discussed with the headmaster the other day, insurgent and terrorist groups know they'll get crushed if they confront you guys head on, which is why they won't attack a base or military target. Instead, they'll attack schools, hospitals, shopping centers, police stations, Dust refineries and even people's houses. Anything to cause fear, panic and disorder." Greg explained.

"They've also been known for human trafficking, drug dealing, smuggling, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom and black-market deals to acquire funding and equipment for their organizations." Ivan commented. They didn't show it, but Ironwood and Winter had a growing worry inside at what the Russians were explaining. Everything that was just mentioned was happening right now and the bitter truth was that they really had no idea how to deal with everything. Not even their intelligence agency is able to find any leads or help prevent attacks. And now there's a shipment of new Paladins that have completely disappeared without any trace. Ironwood finally came to a realization.

"You're saying we need a military reform?" The general asked in a critical tone.

"I wouldn't say a full overhaul since the Grimm are still out there, but a counter-terror unit might be an option to explore." Greg answered.

"Is that what you four are? A counter-terror unit?" Winter asked.

"We're more of a special operations unit. Counter-terror and insurgency is part of the job description." Nick replied. Before Winter could follow up, Alex stepped in.

"I'm not sure what the Atlas special operatives do, but we're primarily an airborne force meaning we parachute in behind enemy lines and conduct various operations depending on the mission." Alex said while looking at Winter who kept a neutral disposition to him.

"So, where did you receive training on such a broad range of skills?" She asked.

"I'm afraid that information is classified Specialist Schnee." Greg replied, earning a scowl from Winter.

"Let's get back on topic. If I were to form a new unit, can I count on your cooperation in helping to train them?" Ironwood asked, wasting no time getting to business.

"There's a few things you need to keep in mind General." Alex replied to Ironwood who motioned for him to continue. "First off, you and I both know this can't happen overnight. It'll take months, if not years of planning and organizing logistics, stronger intelligence networks, training regiments and personnel before anything happens. Speaking of which, I hope you have a general idea on who you want to be part of this new unit because I can speak for myself and the guys in saying that the majority of your army is not cut out for this job."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Winter asked with slight aggression in her tone.

"You're joking right? Between the guys asleep at their posts and the one's not paying attention to their surroundings, the 'casualties' you suffered could've been a lot worse." Nick replied with a subtle grin that only grew when he noticed the slight twitch in Winter's eye. Could the Atlesians have suffered more casualties from the exercise? Who knows, but after a final tally of 155 casualties, including Winter, from both direct and indirect attacks, it's not looking good for the Atlesians.

"You ever hear of the saying 'Train like you fight?'" The two Atlesians shook their heads at Alex. "It's pretty self-explanatory: if that's how your guys are during training, then what the hell are they going to do when the real thing happens? It's not enough to be in shape or have the ability to use a weapon. No, it takes a certain type of person to do what we do. There's a reason we're called special forces. Aside from being physically strong, they need to be mentally strong enough to make life or death decisions under extreme pressure in a split second. They also need to be adaptable, self-reliant and be able to operate in any environment while thinking outside the box and using unconventional tactics. But most importantly, they need the spirit, the courage and the will to do what must be done. They must be ready to fight for their nation, the people they care about, their brother's and sister's in arms, and for the sake of humanity." Ironwood, Winter and Ozpin were hanging onto Alex's words with certain look of approval. "And if necessary, they need to be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice if it's to ensure a future of peace, freedom and prosperity where guys like us won't be needed. But until that day comes, we'll be ready." Alex finished his speech with looks of respect from the three Remnant natives.

"Have you ever considered being a motivational speaker?" Ozpin asked in a whimsical tone.

"It comes and goes. Sometimes I can motivate a sheep to fight a lion, other times I can't motivate a starving lion to eat the sheep." Alex replied with his metaphors before turning back to Ironwood. "Now tell me General, do you have people who could fill this role?"

"I'll have to get back to you on that." Ironwood calmly replied. The only people he could think of at the top of his head were members of the Special Operatives. The problem is that he only has authority over a small number of them, as they get divided out to other high-ranking officers. Not to mention he needs to go through a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy just to bring it up to the council where they'll go through weeks of debating to even consider approving the motion despite him being a member with two seats.

"I'd like to also remind you about what we talked at our first meeting." Alex paused for a moment. "We're not interested in joining the Atlesian military. We can assist and cross train, but we're quite comfortable here in Vale. Besides, all our stuff is here including the training fields." Ironwood knew they weren't keen on joining Atlas, which was unfortunate because it would make creating the new unit significantly easier.

"If I may suggest a compromise, perhaps you send in a few observers to attend some of Sgt. Volkov's classes? They can take notes from their lectures and practical applications for future use." Ozpin suggested to Ironwood who was immediately on board with the idea. He gave him an approving nod before the two looked over to the Russians for their input.

"I don't mind." Ivan said.

"Me neither." Nick added.

"That sounds reasonable but keep it limited though. It's a full class." Greg commented.

"They're free to ask questions and participate so long as they remember that we're in charge. I don't need an Atlesian officer breathing down our necks telling us how it should be done." Alex said while looking at Winter for some reason.

"Then it's settled. James will send a few of his soldiers to sit in during Alex's courses to observe and take notes. With this decision, we can hopefully come together and learn from each other to strengthen our resolve and to ensure a safer future for Remnant." Ozpin stated to both Ironwood and the Russians.

"I hope you don't mind me sending Specialist Schnee as one of the observers. She is my second in command after all." Ironwood said to the guys who only shrugged in response.

 _"Yeah, didn't see that coming."_ Alex thought sarcastically.

"I'll be sure my notes and observations are thorough and detailed sir." Winter replied to her superior.

"Well, that's taken care of. Is there anything else you wish to discuss General?" Alex asked. Today was their day off so they kinda needed to wrap things up before they head out into the city.

"At the moment, no." Ironwood simply replied. He already has a lot on his plate right now and talking to the Russians keeps adding to it, so he'll leave things as is for now.

"Very well. If you excuse us, we're off to the city now." Ozpin and Ironwood both gave a nod to Alex gesturing them that they're free to go. As the guys left the room, Ironwood turned towards Winter.

"You're dismissed as well Schnee." He said to her. Winter responded with a curt nod before leaving Ozpin and Ironwood alone to discuss other matters.

While waiting for the elevator, Alex noticed Winter leaving Ozpin's office and heading towards them. Even though Ironwood seemed cool with them, he knew she probably still has some…resentment towards them. He doesn't blame her, but since she's going to be sitting in on their classes, they'll be seeing her around more often and it's probably a good idea to clear the air with her.

"I'll catch up with you guys shortly, there's some stuff I have to take care of." He said to guys as they stepped into the elevator.

"Going to try and become Weiss's step brother?" Greg and Ivan couldn't help chuckling at what Nick said. Alex rolled his eyes but still had a smirk on his face. He agrees that Winter is indeed a beautiful, age appropriate woman, but he does not want to be on the receiving end of her sword. Besides, he knows nothing about her and their first meeting wasn't exactly the best.

"Funny, maybe she'd like to know who smashed a chair across her sisters back?" Alex replied with a smug grin.

"Whoa, wait a minute." The elevator doors shut before Nick could say anything else. Alex got a quick chuckle in before walking over to Winter who already acknowledged his presence.

"Specialist Schnee, do you have a moment?" He calmly asked.

"What is it?" She replied rather coldly.

"I believe this is yours." Alex reached into his jacket pocket and revealed the knife that got stuck in his helmet to her. He then tossed it to Winter who caught it with ease and looked it over before putting it away.

"Thank you." Was all she said in an unenthusiastic tone.

"It's a nice blade, I take it you have one like it with your real sword?" He asked.

"Okay, what do you want? I have places to be." She said with a hint of annoyance, ignoring his question.

"Just wanted to say I hope there's no hard feelings between us." Alex's tone was friendly and professional. Winter responded with a look of skepticism.

"About what?" She replied in a less harsh tone.

"You're going to make me say it aren't you? Look, I may have used a little too much excessive force on you and wanted to make sure you knew that it wasn't personal." He wasn't sorry about what he did, but he did feel a little bad about yesterday, so this is the closest to an apology that Winter was going to get.

"A 'little' excessive? In what universe is locking me in a gas filled room, slamming my head into a tree, punching me between my legs, stepping on my throat and shooting me between the eyes at point blank range a 'little' excessive?!" Winter shouted, letting out her anger.

"Well when you put it that way, I sound like a total dick." He said in a joking matter despite Winter's frustration.

"You think this is funny?!" She yelled while grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him towards her.

"Uh, no?" Alex was slightly taken back by how strong Winter was while looking like she was ready to kill him. And yet despite it all, he couldn't help but notice how pretty Winter is when she's angry. Flawless skin, luscious white hair, nice thin lips that covered a perfect set of teeth, and those stunning blue eyes glaring daggers at him while being hit with the lovely fragrance of her hair care products. Coconut, if he had to guess. There's nothing that beats a gorgeous woman who could swiftly end your life and make it look like an accident.

"Because of _you_ , hundreds of people, including my sister, saw me, an Atlesian Specialist and eldest child of the prestigious Schnee family, get bested and utterly humiliated by some nobody!" She shouted directly into Alex's face, while he remained unfazed much to her annoyance.

"It's like I told Weiss one time after class: Nobody's perfect and even the best of us have our off days. All you can do is shake it off and learn from the experience." Alex calmly said, remembering the class where Weiss was unable to take down Ruby in the fighting pits and he had to talk to her after class. Guess that stubborn, prideful perfectionism runs in the family.

"So, are you saying I should just ignore the talking going on behind my back and simply move on?" Her reply sounded calmer despite the frustration.

"Well if it's your fellow soldiers talking behind your back, I think you should kindly remind them that you're still a Specialist and can easily crush them like a bug. The same could be said about everyone else." Alex started off, but Winter didn't seem to be buying it. "Look, you know who you are. You're Specialist Winter Schnee, a strong, intelligent and capable fighter who no doubt had to work her ass off to get where she is today, who is also gracious in defeat, and shouldn't give a fuck about a bunch of losers who talk shit on you behind your back because they don't have the balls to do it in front of you." Alex said to her with a serious face. She looked surprised by his…colorful vocabulary and had to process what he was trying to say. Eventually, his words seemed to have gotten through to her if the small grin she had was any indication. She then let out a deep sigh and let go of his shirt.

"It's hard being a member of one of the most influential and powerful families on Remnant. Your raised up to be perfect, while everyone around you holds you accountable and ridicules you if you step out of line. You wouldn't happen to know what that's like do you?" She asked with a weak chuckle. Who would've guessed that underneath that cold exterior, is a normal person who deals with personal issues like everyone else? Alex certainly wouldn't've. Luckily this is something he does have experience with.

"I actually do, believe it or not." Winter gave him a curious glance. "I also grew up in a wealthy family where I was supposed to be refined and what not. Unfortunately, I was a total shithead and eventually my parents couldn't take it and kicked me out while completely disowning me." Alex said nonchalantly.

"Your own family disowned you?" She asked in disbelief. Granted, she's not in any better position with the strained relationship with her parents, losing her title of heiress of the SDC and being financially cut off by her father, but he does acknowledge her existence…on occasion.

"Dad said he had enough of my bullshit and that I was a stain on the family. Mom couldn't look me in the eye as I walked out the front door with only the clothes on my back and what little money I had in my wallet. We haven't spoken to each other in over 6 years." Alex said in a somber tone. "But that's all in the past and things are better for me now." He said in a more chipper tone.

"I suppose we're not that different after all. We both have similar upbringing, have terrible family lives, and we're even both in the military." She said in a friendlier tone while it was Alex's turn to give her a curious glance.

"What makes you think I'm military?" He asked with a hint of amusement.

"Nothing for certain, but I did make a few observations about you and your teammates: The attire you were wearing is not something the average Huntsman would wear, your tactics are too well coordinated for police units, and your movements and fighting style say you're not just some guys who knows how to use a weapon." Winter pointed out to him.

"Those are good observations. And you're right, I do have military training." He replied.

"May I ask from where?" She asked hoping to sate her curiosity.

"Like I said to you earlier, that's strictly classified." Her response was a scowl. "However, I may give Ironwood the okay to let you in on the loop in the near future. But for now, it remains on a need to know basis." That wasn't the answer she wanted, but it'll have to do.

"Very well then. And it's General Ironwood to you." Alex raised his eyebrow at her. "Just because you don't fall under his jurisdiction, doesn't mean he shouldn't be shown respect for his rank." She replied in her normal, no nonsense tone.

"Right. Anyway, back to what I was saying earlier, don't feel too bad about yesterday. Walk it off, learn from it and ignore what people think of you. Besides, I doubt Weiss, of all people, is going to view you any differently. And if people are still stupid enough to talk shit on you, I'd like to point out that you have a mean right hook that's guaranteed to shut anyone up." Winter couldn't help but smile when Alex started to rub his face where she punched him.

"I'll be sure to remember that for next time." She said with a smirk.

"Next time?" He asked.

"Just because we're on the same team, doesn't mean I'm not going to seek redemption for my loss." Alex can't explain it, but somehow her smirk is more terrifying than her angry face.

"That's going to be a very short rematch." He sarcastically replied.

"You're that cocky in your abilities?" Oh, she'll make him regret saying that.

"Actually, it's the opposite." Winter didn't expect that response. "That was pure luck with you being weakened by the gas and me being able to counter your attacks, not to mention you letting your guard down when you thought your knife went through my face." Alex pointed out.

"Yes, I supposed I should apologize for that. I was caught up in the moment." Winter rarely dishes out apologies, but since an innocent man was almost killed by her hand, she'll make an exception.

"Don't apologize, I would've done thing same thing. Besides, there's no hard feelings between us, right?" It was his turn to smirk at her.

"No, we're on friendly terms…for now." Though he refuses to fight her again, she won't forget her first major defeat at the hands of Alex anytime soon. She never expected to have a rival, but here he is, standing in front of her.

"But like I was saying, if we were to fight again, with you at full strength, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll totally kick my ass."

"Why the self-doubt? You seem like a capable fighter."

"My style of fighting is completely different from what most people are accustomed to. I'm trained to go in behind enemy lines, hit them hard and fast, and get out before they even realize what happened. At no point do I ever confront them head on and get in an epic dueling sword fight or whatever, as I'm limited to firearms, hand held explosives, a standard knife and defensive unarmed techniques. The latter two are more of a last resort in close quarter engagements." Alex explained.

"So, you have a different fighting method. I fail to see how that prevents you from holding your own against me." He managed to hold out against her in the forest, so there's no reason in her mind on why he has reservations.

"If I tell you why, you're going to feel even more horrible about almost killing me with that knife. You sure you want to know?" The serious look on his face matched his tone.

"I already feel bad enough as it is, what else is there?" She asked.

"You're a smart woman, so I'll let you put the pieces together." She motioned for him to continue. "The guys and I exclusively use firearms to attack from a distance and avoid melee combat unless it's the only option. We rarely fight out in the open, always seeking cover, and relying on stealth, deception, and hit and run tactics to catch the enemy off guard. At no point did we ever use a Semblance or Aura enhanced movements to get around the field. We took little to no fighting damage, and yet your knife found its way into my helmet with no resistance at all. What does that tell you?" Alex was right, Winter is smart, and it didn't take her long to come to a conclusion.

"You…don't have your Aura unlocked?" She asked, wide eyed with disbelief.

" _We_ don't have Auras at all. We've tried to unlock it, but you can't unlock what you don't have." He simply stated.

"But that's impossible! It's the manifestation of your soul. Are you saying you and your friends don't have souls?" She probably could've worded that better, but someone who fights without Aura is practically unheard of on Remnant.

"I like to think we have souls in a spiritual sense, but it's probably just one of those rare cases that you don't hear much about." Once again, he's not outright lying, but also not telling the whole truth. Like he said earlier, maybe he'll let Ironwood bring her in the full loop one of these days, but he needs to see how this plays out.

"Then how are you all alive? Actually, why do you fight at all with the idea that you could easily die?" Winter was still trying to wrap her head around the information she was just presented.

"Well we wear armor and protective gear for starters. Plus, superior training, good planning and a little luck all factor into keeping us alive. As for the second question, I don't see why you can't fight if you don't have Aura. Granted, having a protective barrier that absorbs damage, heals your injuries and enhances your physical abilities makes things so much simpler, it doesn't mean anything if you don't have any heart." She gave Alex a glance, telling him to elaborate. "You and the Huntsmen fight the Grimm to preserve life and humanity itself, while guys like me fight to preserve freedom and liberty among ourselves. As you're well aware, not every Human and Faunus is a good person as they would rather cause chaos or even try to oppress us. I'd rather die fighting as a free man than live in constant fear or peaceful slavery." He explained to her.

"I never thought of it like that." Winter wanted to know what he meant by "peaceful slavery" as the two words aren't normally used in that context, but she was still focused on his lack of Aura. "One more question, why did you tell me about your lack of Aura?"

"General Ironwood already knows, so it's not that big of a secret. Besides, after yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if other people started making observations and connecting the dots. No point in delaying the inevitable." Alex knows they won't be able to maintain that secret for much longer, so they might as well get used to people knowing how vulnerable they are. Of course, people will learn the hard way if they think they're pushovers.

"And I was looking forward to a rematch against you." She replied with a fake disappointed tone and a small grin on her face.

"Sorry, but I want to live long enough to see my thirties."

"Why only you're thirties?"

"With the amount I drink and smoke, it'll be a miracle if I live that long." That answer earned him an annoyed look coupled with an eyeroll from Winter.

"Ugh, I can't believe you'd waste your time and money on such vices." This time, her disappointment was genuine.

"Hey, it's good to kick back and relax every now and then, you should try it sometime. Work hard, play hard. Besides, why do you care what I do?" While Winter does enjoy the occasional glass of wine, she's not one to toy with the effects of alcohol. And smoking is out of the question. She'll never understand the logic behind giving yourself lung cancer.

"I'd just hate to see a good soldier and worthy adversary destroy their body with those filthy habits." That wasn't a lie.

"Yeah, you'd rather kill me yourself." He joked with her to lighten the mood.

"Please, I'd rather not clean your blood off my sword." She was quick with her response and they both shared a light laugh with each other.

"That's a relief." He commented before looking at his watch. "Well as much as I enjoy conversing with you, the guys are probably wondering what's taking me so long." Alex just knows Nick is probably going to say something about being up here so long with Winter.

"Yes, I should be going to as well but before we depart, I must say that your company isn't entirely unwelcome." After talking with him, she already developed a level of respect for Alex. But finding out he smokes, it's like he's trying to make her mad.

"You'll be seeing more of my company Monday morning at 0900 by the outdoor fighting pits. Don't be late." He said as he pushed the call elevator button.

"I look forward to it, Sgt. Volkov." She replied, remembering that she technically outranks him.

"Feel free to call me Alex, my friends normally do, and I hope after today we can be friends…or at least two acquaintances that can tolerate each other. I'm fine with either, Specialist Schnee." He replied to the technically higher ranked woman. At the same time, the elevator doors opened, but Alex placed his foot back to keep the door from closing.

"You may address me as Winter. And maybe one day we could be considered friends, but for now, we'll remain mutual allies." She's not one to jump straight into friendships without a little time to build up, but Alex seems like someone she could get along with in the future. She then extended her arm out to him to shake on their new acquaintanceship with each other.

"Fair enough." He reached forward and the two sealed their new alliance with a hearty shake. However, instead of letting go when the shake concluded, Alex gently pulled her hand towards him and lightly kissed her hand, a common gesture of respect. Before Winter could react, he already stepped back into the elevator with the doors already closing. "Take care of yourself, Winter." He smiled coyly while giving her a two-finger salute right as the elevator doors closed. _"Hmm. Technically I'm supposed to do that when I first greet the woman. Eh, close enough."_ Alex thought, remembering his wealthy upbringing of customs and courtesies when it comes to meeting ladies of similar class.

Winter stood outside the elevator door with her hand out in front of her for a solid minute before she came back to her senses. Her reaction was more out of surprise than anything else. At first, she thought Alex was being flirtatious, but then remembered he was raised in a wealthy family like herself, so it makes sense he knows the customs and courtesies of the upper class.

 _"He's normally supposed to kiss my hand in greeting. Then again, I didn't give him a warm welcome and it was probably to show respect if anything."_ She reasoned in her head. Now that she got to know Alex a little more, it turns out that he's nothing like she initially thought. Instead of an unpleasant, arrogant and possibly sadistic brute, he's a friendly, humble, chivalrous and intelligent man. He's also very mature and dedicated to his work, traits that she can respect. And yet he still finds time to relax with his friends and knows how to have fun. But the biggest thing is his motivating and caring attitude. When he mentioned that he had a similar conversation with Weiss, her respect for Alex grew. Anyone who shows concern for her sister earns a major plus in her book. On top of that, it turns out they have a lot in common: wealthy families, strained relationships with those families, both in the military and are very serious about their work.

Winter then looked down at her gloved hand and felt a slight warming sensation in her cheeks. It only lasted for a couple of seconds before she shook her head and her face returned to it's normal, no nonsense demeanor. She then pressed the elevator button, only to realize that it was still in use. She'd have to wait another five minutes before it returns.

"Damn it." She muttered to herself.

 **A/N:**

 **Man, I hope this wasn't too cheesy for you guys.**

 **Next chapter might be a little mild as well, but it's going to help out the chapter after that.**

 **Until then, thanks for your support.**

 **Hawk Out.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay so this is part one of two for the next kinda filler, kinda build up chapter(s). I appreciate the patience.**

 **Also, this is taking place on the same night RWBY fights Roman's paladin**

Chapter 15: Jaune gets lucky

 **Downtown Vale, 1745**

"Who would've guessed that a movie called _Try Hard_ would be exactly the same as _Die Hard_?" Nick asked while lighting up a cigarette as they were walking down the street.

"Same plot, same lines, same action scenes. Hell, even the actors looked like the one's in the original." Greg replied. Another coincidental similarity between Remnant and Earth to add to his list.

"It was still a good movie, although I wish we got some snacks while we were there." Ivan commented.

"Tickets were 28 lien each and they wanted another 30 for a small popcorn and soda? Over their dead bodies!" Alex exclaimed. Sure, they had the money to pay but they'd rather eat real food than all that junk food, especially at those prices.

"Seriously, what a fucking rip-off." Nick added.

"You think that's bad? Did you guys see the price of cigarettes lately?" Everyone shook their head at Ivan. "The price jumped from 10 lien a pack to 12 per pack."

"Well it's a good thing we stocked up before the price shot up. However, the fact that the price jumped that high in a relatively short amount of time is very unsettling." Alex commented.

"It's not just cigarettes that have gone up: Food, housing, Dust, general services and literally everything else in between has also gone up in price." Greg said, remembering them talking about it in the news.

"I bet people are pissed about that." Alex replied. Indeed, people were upset about the rising costs of everything while their income levels haven't been adjusted for the cost. And this wasn't limited to Vale, as the other Kingdoms were also being hit by this sudden economic inflation. Though things aren't that bad now, if the trend continues, then Remnant can easily find themselves in the middle of an economic recession. God only knows how disastrous that'll be with the ever-looming threat of the Grimm and their insatiable appetite for negative emotions.

The other weird thing is that nobody knows what's causing the inflation. Absolutely nothing has changed in Remnants economy that can cause such a dramatic shift. Economists are scratching their heads trying to find any probable cause and the Central Bank of Remnant, whose headquarters is located in Atlas and is the institution responsible for all banking systems, the money supply, interest rates and monetary policies, is just as lost as everyone else. Hopefully someone figures out what's going on before things get bad. In the meantime, people are just going to have to go about their days with less purchasing power.

"Yeah, it's a pretty shitty situation, but let's not worry about stuff outside our control and go get some food." Nick commented to which everyone agreed to and continued down the street.

As they continued on, they noticed a crowd gathered around a hologram of General Ironwood presenting the new AK-200 attack robots. However, the crowd looked very unimpressed with a number of the onlookers heckling and shouting jeers at the hologram, much to the amusement of the crowd. Some of them were even throwing trash at the knights on display. The guys got a little closer and were able to hear what was being said.

"Of course they need robots, their army can't do shit!" A man shouted, chucking a tomato at one of the knights, who did nothing in response.

"They say their going to protect us, but they can't even protect themselves!" A Faunus woman added.

"How can they 'lead humanity to a better future' when four guys managed to take on their army and win?!" Another woman shouted. That last one got the guy's attention as it appears that news travels very fast on Remnant. Alex walked up to the woman to hopefully get a little insight on how much people know about their fight with the Atlesians.

"Excuse me ma'am, I couldn't help but over hear something about four guys taking on the Atlesian army and was wondering what's that all about?" He asked, pretending to be unaware of things. The woman gave him a confused look.

"You've been living under a rock or something? Well, some students from Beacon recorded and uploaded a simulated battle between the Atlesians and four guys who are supposed to be some kind of special group or something. Anyway, the video quality may be crap because they recorded a live feed on another screen, but it was clear that those four guys crushed the Atlesians, including one of their Specialists. They're all over every social media site out there, I'm surprised you haven't heard yet." The woman finished explaining. The guys kept a neutral expression while silently thanking the balaclavas they wear to keep their identities hidden. Very good for situations like this.

"So why the heckling and throwing garbage?" Greg asked before another man stepped in to answer.

"Every damn day, those Atlesian snobs strut around like they have the biggest dicks in the world and believe that everyone should kiss their asses while they look down upon us. Then they have the audacity to flaunt their military around Vale in a show of force, while arrogantly claiming it's the best and that we 'need' them to help keep us safe. Give me a fucking break!" The man finished before another guy stepped in.

"I hear you brother. Those Atlesians are all full of themselves. If you ask me, it's their stupid politics that led to the rise of the White Fang and other groups like them. Every time they get involved, stupid shit always happens! I can't even walk down the street without running into police and military on every corner!" A woman stepped in this time.

"They control all the Dust, the banks and the major shipping lanes on Remnant, on top of having a presence all over the world and taking resources as they see fit and leaving us with scraps!" A third guy entered the scene.

"I heard those four guys that smashed their army are from Vale. If that's true, then they have my thanks. I'd buy them a round if I ever met them." He said, to which everyone agreed.

"Fuck yeah! Show those Atlesian scumbags what we Valeans are made of!" A younger man shouted.

"Sounds like you guys have held these feelings in for a long time." Alex commented and the first woman who spoke nodded.

"Look, maybe at one-point Atlas was a great kingdom that everyone looked to for guidance. Their technology benefitted us greatly and their military was helpful in dealing with the Grimm, but with their politics and military constantly butting into the other kingdoms and taking advantage of us more recently, that praise started to erode. The final straw was when those four men showed everyone how incompetent their military is and how empty their words are on having the strongest fighting force and being what's best for everyone." She explained while the guys shared quick glance with each other. They could honestly say they did not see this happening.

"If four guys were able to do that much damage, then what the hell are they going to do against the White Fang or anyone else? Seriously, Fuck Atlas!" Someone shouted.

"Yeah! Fuck Atlas!" Another person shouted. Eventually the whole crowd started chanting "Fuck Atlas" while throwing rotten food at the Atlesian knights. The guys used this time to slip away from the crowd before things got stupid. They managed to get away just in time right before the police showed up to break the crowd up. As they guys walked along, they remained quiet until Greg broke the silence.

"Well, not only did we introduce weapons that nullify Aura, but now it seems we've caused both civil and political tension to rise between Atlas and the rest of the world." He said ironically.

"It would've happened eventually. That lady said a lot of people kept things bottled up about Atlas. We just happen to give the final push." Ivan replied. Considering how quick people were to turn on Atlas, it's highly probable that the peaceful relations between the kingdoms are fractured at best.

"We shattered the illusion that Atlas was the mighty, unstoppable force on the planet, and now the trust and confidence the people have in them has been broken." Alex commented. Unintended consequences are a bitch no matter where you are.

"You know that old saying that it only takes one man to change the world? Turns out they were wrong…it takes four." Nick deadpanned. Never in a million years would they think it was possible, and yet they've managed to unintentionally, upset the balance of power of an entire world. Not like they can do anything about it other than hope things sort themselves out.

"It's out of our hands so let's not dwell on it. Come on, let's go to the buffet at that one casino." Alex said, changing the subject.

"The Crimson Leviathan?" Ivan asked. There're not many casinos in Vale and the two most well-known are the Crimson Leviathan and Cerulean Oasis. It's either one or the other

"Yeah that one." He replied. For 40 lien per person, the buffet is a much better deal than overpriced movie snacks. Plus, they get a very diverse selection of the various foods of Remnant, many of which are very similar to what Earth has to offer. They have plenty of dishes that are based off Asian cuisine, but also one's that are similar to those found from all over Europe and North America. Hell, they even have dishes similar to what you'd find in Russia, albeit generic names.

"I'm down for that. Afterwards I can hit up the craps tables." Nick said. Casinos aren't a big thing in Russia, but when the guys visited Minsk, Belarus and hit up the casinos there, they had a good night and won a lot of money. Since then, they make it a point to visit Minsk every now and then.

"You don't even know to play craps, do you?" Greg asked, sarcasm in his tone.

"What's not to get? You roll the dice, it lands on a seven and you win." Nick replied.

"That's not even close to…never mind." Greg didn't feel like explaining the whole game to him.

As they rounded the corner, they noticed a young man walking out of a store while carrying a guitar and a bag that held a couple of books and what appears to be various containers of workout supplements. The young man turned towards the Russians and revealed himself to be non-other than the leader of JNPR, Jaune Arc. He appeared to be distracted, as it looks like he was mumbling something to himself, while being unaware of their presence. At least until Nick spoke up.

"What's up Arc?" He asked loud enough to cause Jaune to jump in surprise and drop his stuff while the guys chuckled among themselves.

"Oh uh, hey guys. Just doing a little shopping." The knight replied, having recovered from the initial shock. Alex and the other's stepped forward to help pick his stuff up. Although, they couldn't help but notice his recent purchases.

" _Guitar lessons for beginners._ Trying to learn the guitar huh?" Greg asked, looking at the book he picked up of the ground. Jaune gave him a nod.

"Protein powder, creatine, pre-workout, CLA, BCAA's, test boosters? Damn Jaune, if you're trying to bulk up or get in shape, you don't need to take any of this crap." Ivan said, slightly raising his voice. He believed that all you needed was a good diet, a solid workout plan and the determination to stick to it. Not even Alex, Greg or Nick used supplements.

"Well…" Jaune was about to explain until Nick interrupted.

"Whoa, time out. _The socially awkward man's guide to picking up girls: guaranteed to make your dream girl fall head over heels for you!_ " Nick dropped the book when he couldn't contain his laughter, much to Jaune's embarrassment.

"Jaune, how much did you pay for this guitar?" Alex asked while looking it over and taking it out of the case.

"Um, 150 lien. Why, is there something wrong?" He asked, not feeling good about how hard Alex is looking over his recent purchase.

"Well I don't know much about guitars, but I'm pretty sure this part, the neck, isn't supposed to be this loose." He said while demonstrating how loose the neck of the guitar was. Alex then gently plucked one of the strings, only to have it snap in half. "Again, I don't know much about guitars, but I think this piece of junk is only worth five lien, if that." He then flipped it over to show Jaune the large crack in the body of the guitar.

"Aww man, the guy said it was one of a kind." He said with disappointment.

"Do you have a receipt or something?" Greg asked. Jaune scratched the back of his head and weakly chuckled.

"Uh well, it was from his personal collection that he kept in the back of his car…so, no" He answered with a weak smile while the guys gave him disappointing looks. "But it came with a certificate of authenticity." Jaune held up the folded piece of paper, to which Greg grabbed and started to read it over.

"Okay first off, the word 'authentic' is not spelt with a 'k' and secondly, the authenticator's name is a Mr. Hugh G. Rection and it's signed in crayon." Greg pointed out, causing everyone except Jaune to laugh. It was then that Alex stepped in a placed a friendly hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"What I think we're trying to ask is why are you learning to play the guitar?" He asked, still having an occasional chuckle.

"Well, the dance is coming up and I wanted to ask Weiss to be my date. So, I thought that serenading her with a song would help me out." Jaune sheepishly replied while the guys gave him questioning glances. Though they don't get too involved in the students personal lives, they're still aware of Jaune's multiple attempts at courting Weiss and the many failures that followed.

"Do you know what the definition of insanity is?" Greg asked.

"It's something to do with crazy people, right?" Jaune replied.

"It's doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result." Greg pointed out.

"I mean sure, she said no every time, but…" He trailed off but couldn't finish his thought.

"Trust me when I say that Weiss's bark is worst than her bite, but I think it's pretty clear that she's just not into you." Ivan said to the young man, who started to look a little down.

"Hey man don't feel bad, there's tons of girls out there. How about that one transfer team from Vacuo, NDGO, or something like that. They're pretty cute, right?" Nick nudged Jaunes side in an attempt to encourage him.

"Yeah, I supposed they are." He replied before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Maybe getting a date with Weiss is just a pipe dream." Jaune paused a moment and let out a light chuckle. "Heh, I guess you need more than confidence and persistence to get a date."

"Not always. Usually confidence is enough to get a girl's attention. However, too much and you'll come of as arrogant and too much persistence makes you look like a creepy stalker who can't take 'no' for an answer." Alex explained to the young man.

Since day one, the leader of JNPR has been marked as a target to the Russians. Not in a bad way mind you, but as someone who sticks out in a crowd, and Jaune Arc certainly sticks out in the crowd. He's not very coordinated or particularly strong physically, but Jaune has proven himself to be a competent tactician and strategist during training exercises. Of course, they've also seen him get thrown around like a ragdoll in Goodwitch's class, alongside doing extra homework for other classes due to poor academic performance. Lucky for him, the Russians aren't that strict in their grading as it's mostly participation. Still, they respect the kid for his perseverance and his determination to be the best he can. Their final assessment of Jaune is that though he has heart, he needs help. And boy does he need a lot.

"As cliché as it is, have you tried just being yourself?" Greg asked.

"I'm not that interesting of a person honestly. I'm not cool like you guys."

"And with that attitude, you're on your way to becoming a lonely, chronic masturbator." Nick said rather bluntly, but Jaune didn't seem to catch that.

"Look at me; I'm not smart, I'm not strong, I can't fight, I'm not the best dressed or even the best looking. What exactly do I have going for me?"

"You have courage, which is something you need if you're willing to use fake transcripts to get into Beacon." Alex said, while Jaune went wide eyed.

"How did…"

"Ozpin knew since day one." Alex answered before Jaune could finish his question.

"Then how have I not been kicked out then?"

"Don't look at us. Maybe Ozpin saw potential in you or something." Nick answered.

"And before you put yourself down again, we know you're not up to par with the others in fighting skills, but we've noticed you working out and training after class, and we respect your dedication." Greg commented.

"Just don't kill yourself during the process. Also, supplements are not a shortcut to get in shape." Ivan added.

"Look Arc, all you need is a little help in building your confidence and a little guidance on life to push you in the right direction. In fact, you're coming with us tonight." Alex proclaimed, catching the knight off guard. The rest of the guys didn't have a problem with that.

"Uh, where am I going?" Jaune didn't know what to make of what just transpired. But after a brief moment, he decided to go along with it.

"The Crimson Leviathan. We're going to get some food, a couple drinks, gamble a little and hopefully teach you how to man the fuck up." Nick replied. In Jaunes mind, if there's anybody who could help him with fighting or women or…life, it's definitely these guys. They're confident, fearless, deadly fighters who lack Aura, and are also very likeable and easy to get along with. These are people Jaune felt he should emulate.

"Okay, but I don't have much money. Also, I don't think I'm allowed in casinos."

"Relax, it's on us. And you're allowed to walk around so long as you don't gamble." Greg answered.

"What about my team? I told them I'll back later for dinner." Jaune completely forgot about his plans with his teammates. Then again, it's not like he's going to get another opportunity like this again.

"Text them saying something came up and you'll be coming back late." Ivan replied.

"Pyrrha might be upset, but hopefully she'll understand." Jaune said as he pulled out his scroll. _"I'm sure whatever Pyrrha wanted to ask me can wait until tomorrow."_ The clueless knight thought.

"While you're at it, throw away all this junk." Alex commented, pointing to all of Jaune's recent purchases. Since he's going to a casino and a lot of this stuff was useless, he had no problem dumping everything into a nearby dumpster.

"Alright come on guys, I want to get there when happy hour starts." Nick commented. And with that, they began the short walk to the Crimson Leviathan.

 **Crimson Leviathan casino floor, 2000**

Jaune's never been to a casino, so it was no surprise he was immediately taken back by all the sights and sounds of a lively casino. It's a very high-end place that in order to enjoy it, you need to have a decent amount of money on hand. Lucky for him, Alex and the guys are picking up the tab. They made their way over to the casino buffet and Jaune was entranced by the various aromas of probably the nicest food he has ever seen in his life.

While they ate, the guys got a chance to learn about the Jaune in order to see if they can point him in the right direction in life. So far, they learned about his large family, his lack of combat training prior to "enrolling" in Beacon, and some of his recent exploits in school like dealing with CRDL and training with Pyrrha. After making a mental note of coming up with fuck-fuck games for CRDL next class, they offered their wisdom and years of life experience to the blonde dork. True, the guys aren't much older than Jaune, but aging is different for military members. Due to the amount of bullshit and fuckery the military deals with on a daily basis, time has adverse effects on its members. To this day, scientists are still trying to figure out how a 21-year old man can have the mentality, the aches and pains, and even look like a 45-year old man, all within a timeframe of 2-5 years in the military.

Ivan gave him advice on improving his overall fitness level, stressing the importance of eating clean, maintaining a workout plan, and not relying on supplements. Greg gave him study tips to help with his academics, critical thinking, and retaining information. He's even nice enough to offer to tutor Jaune in classes he seems to have difficulty with, especially anything requiring math. Nick told him how to be assertive and stand up for himself, especially with regards to CRDL. He also gave him a few pointers on girls, most of which was decent advice like reading their body language on whether they're interested or not. Finally, Alex shared his leadership experience with him in hopes that it'll help Jaune lead JNPR to victory. All of this is done with the assumption that it'll help give Jaune the confidence boost he needs in life. And as it turns out, he appears to be listening intently and taking their advice to heart.

After dinner, Jaune asked if he could hang out with them a little longer, to which they were cool with. The group first went to the casino bar and got a few drinks, even managing to get a couple for Jaune. He was hesitant at first, but his light beer was nothing compared to the straight vodka shots the Russians were taking, so he manned up and choked it down. With drinks in hand, the guys went to go try their luck in the casino with Greg and Nick heading for the craps tables and Alex and Ivan going for blackjack. Since Jaune couldn't technically gamble, he decided to stick with Alex and spectate on how blackjack was played.

"Hit me." Alex said to the dealer. He had a 4 and 5 for a total of 9, so of course he's going to hit. Lucky for him, the next card was an ace, bumping him up to 20, a good number to stand on. The dealer then went to Ivan who had a 7 and 4 on the table and like anyone who's played blackjack before knows, 11 is a perfect number to double down on. Ivan placed the extra chips down to signal he was doubling down and lo and behold, the dealer drew a king, putting Ivan at 21.

"Alright you guys won!" Jaune lightly celebrated, but Alex held his hand up to him.

"Not yet, the dealer still has to draw to 16 and stand on 17. From there, hopefully they bust." Alex explained. Luckily, it was only Alex and Ivan sitting at the table, with Jaune standing by Alex's seat. The dealer only had a 2 and 4 out and was instantly greeted with a 10 for a total of 16, but like Alex said, the dealer needs to stand on 17. Alex and Ivan have good hands, so as long as the dealer drew anything other than a 5, they're golden. It's in the bag. It's…

"21, dealer wins. Sorry guys." The dealer said with an apologetic look as she took away Alex's chips. At least a push meant Ivan could keep his chips. Both Russians silently cursed to themselves before tipping her and leaving to find Greg and Nick before they lost all their money.

"What are the fucking chances of drawing a 5 on a 16?" Alex asked.

"I'm sure Greg could probably calculate the odds." Ivan commented.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how he and Nick are doing at craps?" The group of three walked for another minute before they spotted Greg at a craps table with a decent amount of chips in front of him. Nick however, was nowhere to be found.

"How're you doing Greg?" Ivan asked.

"Pretty good. I'm up 500 lien and I'm about to make another 500 for an even 1000." He replied, placing his chips on the tables 'Don't Pass Bar.'

"Where's Nick?" Alex asked.

"As it turns out, he has no idea how to play craps." Greg paused to chuckle. "He lost 400 on the first two rolls, so he decided to play roulette instead." Craps really isn't that hard of a game to play. The only reason it seems hard is because it's fast paced, uses a lot of slang, and has multiple ways to bet against all the players. Once you get the hang of everything, it's very enjoyable.

"I bet he's down another 400." Ivan whispered to Jaune.

"How'd blackjack go for you guys?" Greg asked while the other players placed their bets.

"Ivan broke even and I'm down 200. I don't know about you, but we're about ready to leave." Alex replied.

"Yeah, it's starting to get crowded. After this last bet, we'll find Nick and get out of here." Greg said as the next shooter stepped up to roll. This next shooter however, needed a literal boost to step up as she was tiny and could barely reach over the table. The petite girl had a unique pink and brown hair coloration that seemed to compliment her outfit and the parasol by her side very nicely. While she certainly stands out in a unique way, everyone was more focused on the stack of chips worth 5,000 lien she had in the 'pass line.' If she rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, she wins. A 2, 3 or 12 means she loses. For Greg to win, it's the opposite outcomes other than 12, as it'll result in a push.

"Damn, high roller." Alex commented to Ivan and Jaune who both nodded in agreement. The short ice cream themed girl had an air of cockiness about her while she rolled the dice in her hand a couple of times. And just like that, the dice shot out of her hand, hit the back wall and landed.

"Son of bitch!" Greg shouted, looking at the 5 and 2 that was rolled. The girl smugly grinned at him while she collected her chips before leaving to cash out.

"Damn that sucks." Ivan commented.

"Should've quit while I was ahead. Come on, let's find Nick and get out of here." Greg calmly said.

It didn't take long to find Nick over at the roulette tables, as they could hear his cursing from the other side of the casino. There he sat at the table with a couple other people and a small pile of chips in front of him.

"50 on red." He said to dealer while placing the outer bet.

"Not doing so hot either?" Alex asked as the ball spun around the wheel.

"Black 31!" The dealer called out, taking away Nick's chips.

"Nope. That's the fifth time it landed on black." He replied.

"Have you tried betting on black, or anything else?" Greg asked.

"With my luck it'll land on red. Ah, fuck it." Nick decided to go all in and bet his last 200 on black. As the ball spun around the wheel, Nick silently prayed to catch a break. It's 50-50 red or black. Unless it lands…

"Double zero!" The dealer called out. Nick stared dumbfoundedly at what just happened.

"Well it didn't land on red if that makes you feel better." Jaune commented, hoping to lighten the mood. Seriously, it almost never lands on green.

"Good thing I'm only 400 in the hole. But seriously, you guys should've seen this chick that was at the table earlier. She put 500 on a single number and won!" Nick exclaimed. With single numbers paying out at 35:1, that girl easily made 17,500 lien.

"Did she happen to have pink and brown hair, carry a parasol, and was small enough to fit in Ivan's pocket?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, she did. Why?" he replied.

"She won big at the craps table also." Ivan answered.

"Of course she did." Was Nick's sarcastic response.

"I guess we're all tapped out for the night." Alex commented before turning to Jaune. "Unless you want to bet something." The knight thought it over in his head.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to play." He replied.

"One of us can place the bet for you as well as cash in any winnings." Greg answered.

"Well in that case, how about that slot machine over there." The guys looked at the giant slot machine Jaune was pointing at. 'Super Slots O' Fun Jackpot' was the name of the machine to be exact.

"You sure about that Arc?" Alex asked. Jaune simply nodded his head. "Whatever dude, it's your money." He responded while shrugging.

"Here you go Nick, maybe I'll get lucky." Jaune said as he gave Nick the 10-lien card.

"Alright, here goes nothing." The machine came to life as the three reels spun rapidly, while Jaune anxiously watched his money in action. The first one stopped on a flaming number 7, a good start.

"There's one." Greg commented. Jaune watched excitedly as the second reel stopped on another flaming 7.

"Oh is he going to get it?" Alex asked out loud. Jaune didn't hear him however, as he anxiously awaited that third reel to stop. The thrill of possibly winning money was getting to him.

" _Oh man, I can't watch!"_ Jaune thought to himself as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the outcome. Finally, the third reel stopped and was followed by a brief silence.

Suddenly, an alarm goes off, lights are flashing, and people are cheering. Jaune opened his to see the machine flashing the word "winner" in bright colorful letters.

"Holy shit Jaune! You just won half a million lien!" Nick exclaimed while mentally kicking himself for not going straight for this machine in the first place.

"…f-five hundred thousand?" Never would he imagine himself coming into that kind of money. As Jaunes mind was still trying to comprehend that his 10 lien just became 500,000 lien, a floor manager came up to verify the jackpot. The manager got the okay from the security camera verifying the win and then congratulated Nick while another manager came out with a giant check for 500,000 lien.

"All right smile for the camera sir." The manager said to Nick. He held up the giant check with his thumb up and a goofy grin that'll forever be mounted on the Crimson Leviathans winners wall.

 **A few minutes later**

"Jaune my man, you are one lucky bastard! Anyway, I asked for a direct deposit into my bank account, so I need your info to transfer your winnings." As much as Nick would love to have that money, it was Jaunes money that went into the machine and he's not going to fuck the kid over.

"I still can't believe that happened. I mean, what are the odds of hitting that jackpot?" Jaune asked while he pulled up his bank information.

"It'll take me too long to explain it mathematically, but just know that getting three of the same symbol and a 5 times multiplier is slim to none." Greg replied.

"So, what are you going to do with all that money?" Ivan asked.

"I honestly don't know." Jaune replied.

"Well don't be surprised if all of sudden girls start finding you more attractive." Alex commented.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say money can make even the ugliest guy, suddenly turn into the hottest guy around." Nick answered. He wasn't wrong.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Besides, I've already decided to send half of my winnings to my family." Jaune replied with an innocent smile.

"That's very noble of you." Ivan commented.

"Hey, they've always been there for me, so why not pay them back? Plus, having eight children isn't exactly cheap and hopefully this money can give them some room to breathe."

"You're a good guy Jaune, don't forget that." Alex said with an approving tone.

"I couldn't have gotten this without your guy's help. As a token of my appreciation, I'm going to share some of winnings with you guys." The guys were slightly taken back by Jaune's response.

"Hey man, you don't…" Alex started to say, but Jaune held up his hand.

"Nope I insist. Aside from betting on my behalf, you guys gave me solid advice about well…everything and I'm going to use that information to become stronger both physically and mentally. So consider this a thanks for your help. Besides, Arc's never go back on their word, and they always show gratitude to their friends."

"Well if you insist, then you're welcome." If Jaune wanted to split his winnings with them, then Alex is in no position to stop him.

"Nick, go ahead and put five percent of the winnings in your account and divide it out." Nick stared off to the side, counting with his fingers and appeared to be writing stuff in the air in an attempt to figure out how much 5 percent of 500,000 was and how to divide it out.

"Five percent is 25,000 and divided by four is 6,250." Greg answered without having to stop and think.

"Wow, I was way off." Nick commented.

"I wish I could do quick math like that." Ivan said to Greg, who shrugged in response.

"Well guys, now that we have a little extra spending money, how about we keep the night going?" Alex said with a grin.

"Are we going to get drunk, go to that trampoline gymnasium and throw dodgeballs at people again?" Nick casually asked.

"Again?" Jaune wasn't sure if he heard that right.

"Nah, we did that last week." Ivan said.

"Plus the manager there said he'll call the police if we do that again." Greg replied.

 _"I thought these guys were adults?"_ Jaune thought as stood by perplexed at what he just heard.

"I was thinking we thank Jaune here by taking him to the happiest place in Vale." Alex said with a slightly devious smile. The other guys soon followed suit with Alex's smile.

"The Voluptuous Vixen!" They all said enthusiastically.

"What's the Voluptuous Vixen?" Jaune asked.

"You're going to learn tonight Arc." Nick said, placing his arm around the blonde knights' shoulder.

"What the heck, I'm in." Truth is, Jaune liked hanging out with these guys and why shouldn't he? In a few short hours, he was given life advice that was more practical and useful than what his family taught him, ate awesome food, drank beer, and won half a million lien. And it's not even 9 yet, so of course he's going to that Voluptuous Vixen despite not knowing what it is.

"That's what I'm talking about Arc! Come on guys." Alex said while motioning them to leave, unaware that a pair of pink and brown eyes were watching them from afar.

 **Neo**

Upon hearing that they were going to a strip club, Neo knew that there was no point in following them any further. After spending the day observing them at the mall, the movies and this casino, she can conclude that they like to drink, smoke, gamble, watch action movies, eat lots of food and stare at naked women. In other words, your typical young guy in their 20's. Neo found it hard to believe that these were the guys who defeated the Atlesian army. They hardly seem like a threat, but Cinder insisted that she do some surveillance on them.

Neo really doesn't care about Cinder or whatever she's up to, but wherever Roman goes, she goes. Although, even he doesn't seem to be happy about working with her, but the money is just too nice to pass up. Whoever Cinder's working for, sure has some super deep pockets. Under normal circumstances, they'd be ecstatic about the money, but as Roman pointed out to her, anybody who has this kind of money to spend, are people you do not want to cross.

The other thing that she and Roman are concerned about, is their recent activities: Stealing and moving Dust throughout the city, smuggling weapons through the black market, working with terrorists, and their most recent job, hijacking experimental Atlesian paladins. If Neo didn't know better, she could've sworn that Cinder was preparing for war.

She checked her scroll and saw that it was almost time for that White Fang rally that Roman's hosting tonight. Another thing that she couldn't wrap her head around was why they're working with the White Fang, when they've also been working with ANTIFA? Obviously not at the same time, but the fact that Cinder has her and Roman supplying armaments to the two most notorious terrorist groups on Remnant that also despise each other's existence, is enough to even make two criminals' question what they're doing.

Neo watched as the Russians plus Jaune left the casino, before sending a message to Cinder saying she found nothing and that it doesn't look like they'll be returning to Beacon anytime soon. Considering they're going to a strip club with a large sum of money between them, they'll probably be gone all night. She couldn't help but be amused by their antics and mannerisms that she witnessed throughout the evening, especially when she won high stake bets in front of them. Of course, with that gawky blonde kid winning half a million, the jokes on her. Still, she has some pocket change that she'll probably spend on new clothes or maybe a new parasol. Her scroll dinged, indicating a response from Cinder.

 _"Good work."_ Was all that she said. Neo sighed inwardly, wishing to go back to the good old days when it was just her and Roman. The days before Cinder, and whoever the hell she's working for.

 **Beacon** **2115**

Friday nights at Beacon meant that most of the students and staff were out for the evening, meaning that the school was, for the most part empty. Dressed in her infiltration outfit, Cinder slithered her way through the halls with one goal in mind: Find out anything she can on Alex and the Russians. When she tried to research them in the city databanks, all that was recorded was their names, age and current occupation. There were no records of family, schools, previous addresses, driver's licenses, not even a birth certificate. For those blank spots, there was a note that said, "SEE ADDENDUM", which then stated, "PLEASE CONTACT BEACON ACADEMY FOR RECORDS." She then found herself in Beacons administration office, only to find that their files have been, "REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE HEADMASTER. PLEASE CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION." Additionally, there's an advance encryption protecting them that appears only Ozpin can access.

If there's two things Cinder can't stand, it's being left in the dark about stuff and admitting she can't complete a mission. Knowing that she'll never get to Ozpin, she may have to inform her superiors and have them attempt to find out anything about the Russians with the unlimited resources at their disposal. But before she does that, there's two locations she can search in order to obtain any personal details on them: Their office in the lecture halls and their on-campus apartment. Since the lecture halls are right around the corner, she'll hit their office before moving on to their room. Hopefully, she can find out something useful about them.

 **A/N:**

 **This ended up being longer than anticipated. Don't fret, the next part is literally right around the corner.**

 **The one after that, is when we'll return to the action.**

 **Questions, comments, concerns etc., you know the drill.**

 **Hawk out.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I told you the second part was right around the corner.**

 **Also, I deleted that authors note chapter in case you're confused by the chapter numbers. It was always on the chopping block and now I can get rid of it. Besides My OCD was driving me crazy with the chapters being one number off.**

Chapter 16: A Knight at the strip club

 **The Voluptuous Vixen**

Jaune's never been to this part of Vale before, and for good reason. There's no doubt in his mind that this is one of those sketchy areas of a big city that his parents warned him about. Buildings looked rundown, stores were locked up with bars over the windows, streets were dirty and poorly lit, and the people did not look friendly at all. He was feeling a little nervous, but it subsided quickly when they turned a corner and ended up in a much nicer area. The buildings were in better shape, the street was cleaner, and the whole area had better lighting much to his relief. The main source of light was coming from an upscale looking building in the center of street. As they got closer, Jaune could clearly see the word "Voluptuous Vixen" in bright neon colors and several large burley men in suits standing out in front of the entrance.

"Aww shit, look who's here!" A bouncer excitedly said when he noticed Alex and the rest rolling up. The guy was at least seven feet tall and was 300 pounds of pure muscle. He had tanned skin, slick black hair kept in a pony tail and sunglasses despite it being nighttime. He wore a black two-piece suit with a white shirt and green tie underneath. If he wasn't intimidating already, the brass knuckles he was wearing would make sure of that.

"Grouse! How's it going man?" Alex asked the large bouncer.

"It's been pretty calm so far but with you guys here, the party's about to get started!" Grouse replied.

"Good to hear. Hey, how's the wife doing by the way?" Nick asked.

"Oh right, you guys don't know. Well, she's pregnant!" Grouse happily replied.

"Congratulations man! How about a drink?" Greg replied.

"Thanks guys, but I'm working right now. Go on and have one for me." He said while motioning them to head inside.

"Will do." Ivan said. Right as Jaune was about to step forward, Grouse held his arm up to stop him.

"Not so fast. ID please." He said to him. Before Jaune could even pull it out, Alex turned around to address Grouse.

"Hey, it's cool. He's with us." He simply said. Grouse quickly looked Jaune up and down before flashing a grin.

"Go on in." He didn't need to tell Jaune twice as the knight quickly caught up to Alex. Grouse already knew Jaune wasn't old enough, but if Alex said he's cool, then that's good enough for him and the rest of the bouncers.

"Ah, I was wondering when we'd see you guys again." The bouncer standing behind a counter said as they walked in. Like Grouse, he was also a pretty large guy, only he had darker skin and was balding. He also wore a suit like Grouse only with a stripped black and silver tie.

"Come on Rocko, you know you can't keep us away." Nick joked.

"Ha! True that. Anyway, 20 lien cover charge tonight." Rocko said as everyone pulled out the money. Once the money was collected, everyone held their hands out so Rocko could stamp them. "Have fun guys, your table in the VIP section should be ready for you all." Alex was about to pull the curtain at the doorway until he felt Jaune tap his shoulder.

"Alex, what is this place anyway?" he asked.

"What, you've never been to a strip club?" Alex replied. The look on Jaune's face was priceless.

"…S-strip club?" Right as Alex pulled the curtain away, Jaune was greeted with the sight of a dark, yet brightly lit area with loud music playing in the background. There were tables, lounge chairs, pool tables, a bar and at least three different stages with poles that went up to the ceiling. Patrons were spread all over the area, sitting, chatting, drinking, smoking and having an all-around good time. Bouncers were off to the sides, staying alert to deal with any trouble makers. And of course, there were the lovely ladies of the Voluptuous Vixen, both Human and Faunus, walking around in their sexy lingerie and showing off their "assets." Jaune's mind was already out of whack with the over stimulation of the opposite sex, but the final straw was when he laid eyes on the center stage to see a dancer remove her top and expose herself to the world.

"You good Jaune?" Alex asked with an amused tone. He figured Jaune wasn't very experienced with women, but the way he just 'shut down' at the sight of the strippers was too funny.

"…yeah…why?" He barely managed to form a coherent response as he stared at the women passing by, with some giving him flirtatious winks.

"Well you're drooling for one, and I think your nose is bleeding." Jaune quickly snapped out of it and wiped away the drool and the blood. Luckily, his nose bleed wasn't that bad.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Alex?" An excitable voice called out. He and Jaune turned to see two strippers walking towards them. The one that called out Alex's name was a short and petite blonde, with green eyes and large white, bird-like wings attached to her back, identifying her as a Faunus. She wore a lacey white bra with matching panties, high heels, and had a bubbly personality that could brighten anyone's day.

"Yeah Angel, it's me." He said to her. The bird Faunus, Angel, squealed excitedly and gave Alex and big hug.

"We saw the other guys and were wondering where you were." The second one commented in a more seductive tone.

"Missed you too Sapphire." Alex said. Unlike Angel, Sapphire was a human that had black hair with a couple teal streaks running through them and bright blue eyes that perfectly contrasted with her hair. Also unlike the bird Faunus, she was the same height as Alex and had multiple tattoos covering her much fuller figure, that was covered by black and blue, silk undergarments.

"Of course you did. Nobody can resist me." She replied with a confident, sultry tone while tracing her finger up and down Alex's body, much to his enjoyment.

"Who's your friend?" Angel asked, turning her attention to Jaune.

"That's Jaune. We let him tag along with us for the night." Alex replied.

"Oh he is such a cutie!" Angel exclaimed, grabbing his cheek like he was a child.

"Hey handsome, why don't you and I get to know each other a little better?" Sapphire cooed to Jaune. Between her seductive tone and tracing her soft-delicate fingers across his body, the blonde knight felt a chill run up his spine and suddenly found himself unable to speak. But he was certainly enjoying the close contact with these lovely ladies.

"Come on girls, it's Jaune's first time here." Alex commented.

"Well, we'll make sure his first time is…memorable." Sapphire purred into Jaune's ear.

"Now, now, we just got here. We'll have fun later. But first, we need to have a few drinks." Alex decided to give Jaune some breathing room, as he looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Aww, alright. We'll circle back around later." Angel said while making the most adorable pouting face.

"Don't keep us waiting." Sapphire said with a wink before walking away, making sure to add a nice sway to her hips.

"Stay with me Arc." Alex put his arm around Jaune's shoulder and guided him over to their table in the VIP section. Greg, Nick and Ivan were already sitting down with drinks in one hand, and lit cigarettes in the other.

"What happen to him?" Ivan asked, noticing how Jaune seemed to be out of it and staring off into space.

"We ran into Angel and Sapphire and well, you know how Sapphire is." Alex replied, placing Jaune in the booth.

"We better get some alcohol in him to help steady his nerves." Nick commented while sliding a shot of vodka to Jaune. "Drink this up man." Jaune didn't acknowledge Nick, but he seemed to understand the request. He grabbed the shot glass and quickly downed its contents. The second the alcohol went down his throat, Jaune started coughing and hacking up his lungs. It was then that Greg slid a glass of lemon-lime soda over to Jaune to help him chase it down, much to his relief.

"I figured he might need a chaser." Greg commented out loud. He had the foresight to order a chaser, knowing Jaune wasn't a drinker.

"Ack! That is so strong!" Jaune exclaimed, breaking out of his daze.

"Good to have you back. I thought you were going to be trapped under Sapphires spell." Alex said.

"How're you feeling?" Greg asked. It was then that Jaune remembered that he was in a strip club.

"I'm feeling great! This place is…wow!" He exclaimed. So many beautiful, scantily clad women, and they all approached him!

"Hold up Arc. Before you go off, there's a few things you should know." Nick said. Jaune nodded for him to continue. "First off, do not go falling in love with the strippers."

"They'll be flirting and touching you and stuff, but remember: they don't love you, they love your money." Ivan elaborated.

"While we're on the subject of money, do not tell anyone you're loaded right now." Nick said, taking another shot.

"Some of these girls have no problem taking every last lien in your pocket and leaving you for broke." Greg pointed out. Jaune nodded in understanding.

"Always tip." His next tip was very simple.

"Tipping is how these girls make their money. So be sure to tip them after a stage dance and also tip the waitresses when they bring you drinks." Alex explained. Right as he said that, a waitress brought out another round of shots and Alex slipped a 5-lien card into her bra.

"Just like that." Nick commented.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, above all, be respectful." Alex said. "They're still ladies and they should be treated as such. If they say stop, you stop."

"Remember, they're strippers, not hookers." Greg added. If they were back in Moscow, then it would be no problem. But Vale doesn't seem to allow the dancers to double as 'working girls.' Then again, that rule isn't exactly strictly enforced, and it certainly doesn't stop them from offering extra services.

"If you want hookers, they're down a couple blocks that way." Nick said while pointing in a random direction.

"And always listen to the bouncers." Ivan said, getting a round of nods from the others.

"If they say something or tell you to stop, just say 'yes sir' and don't argue with them." Nick followed up.

"I think that covers everything." Greg commented, passing around more shots of vodka. It was then that Alex raised his shot glass, and everyone followed suit.

"Well gents, its time we celebrate our victory over Atlas, and what better way than with alcohol and strippers?" A collection of cheers followed. "But, we most likely wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for our man, Jaune Arc!" More cheers from Nick, Greg and Ivan followed. Not used to being the center of attention, Jaune could only awkwardly shrug. "So let's drink and get lap dances to finish off the night!" They clinked their shot glasses together and downed their vodka in one gulp. Jaune was coughing up another storm before chasing it with the soda. The guys just laughed.

"Careful with those shots, they'll sneak up on you real fast." Greg said.

 **Beacon, lecture halls**

It didn't take Cinder long to find and break into their office. Their office was large enough to hold four desks and chairs, with two on each side, one in front of the other, and facing the doorway. There was one filing cabinet and one bookshelf on each side of the room in addition to a small closet that sat in the middle of the back wall. She immediately noticed that with how the room was arranged, it was perfectly symmetrical if you were to draw a line down the center of the room. Additionally, everything was super organized and tidy, not even a piece of paper in the trash cans by the desks.

She started by searching through the various folders and notebooks on their desk, identifying them as lecture notes and lesson plans for their courses. Normally, these would be meaningless to her, but reading certain lesson titles like "Fundamentals of Terrorism", "Intermediate Reconnaissance", "Close Quarter Engagements" and "Interrogation Resistance", rose her curiosity to new levels. She skimmed over a few of the lesson plans and took note on how detailed they were, and how out of the ordinary they were for a Huntsman academy. There's no doubt in her mind that these were not things taught in any other school. She pulled out her scroll and took a few pictures of the lesson plans and exercise regiments, knowing that it's information could prove useful to her superiors.

After finishing looking through the desks and paperwork, she made sure to put everything back in its original place before moving onto the computers. Thanks to her superiors, all she has to do is plug her scroll into the computer and it auto hacks her past the user login. She quickly navigated to their school e-mails and began searching for anything useful. However, the only messages in there are general school announcements and mass e-mails sent by other departments. Not even the deleted messages had anything worthwhile. Seeing as how there's nothing else to search in their office, Cinder decided to hit their on-campus apartment. She made sure everything was exactly the way it was before locking the door and making her way to the staff apartment wing.

 **The Voluptuous Vixen 0015**

By this time of night, the club is alive and at full peak. Girls were up on stage, drinks were being served, guys were getting private dances, and everyone was having a good time. Especially the Russians and of course, Jaune Arc.

If you were to walk in right now, the first thing you would see, is Nick on one of the stages, surrounded by two girls and dancing like an idiot. The two girls were giggling like wild as Nick pulled off his wicked sweet dance moves. Then if you look over to the other side, you'll notice Ivan doing pull ups with two girls holding onto his legs and another one his back. A lot of people were impressed at how easy he can pull himself up over the bar while three girls held onto to him. Finally, at the VIP table, you'll see Alex, Greg and Jaune siting down and relaxing from a few rounds of pool while watching the main stage. Of course, they weren't alone at their table, as each of them had a lovely topless, lady sitting in their laps. Obviously, Greg and Alex were more comfortable with having a half-naked woman sit on their lap than Jaune was, but nothing a little liquid courage couldn't remedy.

"Wow, seven sisters?" Angel asked Jaune in amazement. He had a goofy grin on his face as he nodded in response. "I can barely stand my one sister. I can't imagine living with seven."

"You get used to it." He replied with a slight slur. After a few extra drinks, Jaune was feeling pretty good albeit tipsy at the same time. It was like all feelings of anxiety just vanished and he can finally be the lady killer he claimed to be. He let out a light grunt when he felt Angel 'readjust' herself in his lap. This is the first time he's been this close to a girl in all seventeen years of his life, and boy does he hope he can do it again. Angel may be smaller than most of the other girls he's seen, but that doesn't mean she's any less of a woman. Smooth and flawless skin, well-toned body, and a sweet innocent face to complete the little perky ball of sunshine that she is. He tried to reach for another shot glass of vodka, but Alex swooped it away before he could get to it.

"Easy there Jaune. We don't need you getting totally fucked up." Alex said as he downed the shot, then handed Jaune a glass of water. Compared to the Russians, it's no surprise that Jaune would have a lower alcohol tolerance than them, so they were watching how much he drank while making sure he had water between drinks.

"Oh Alex, always the responsible one." Sapphire said in her seductively sweet tone as she gently caressed her hand across his cheek. Knowing how Sapphire is, Alex made the right call with having Angel sit with Jaune as she's more…gentle, for lack of better words.

"Hey, he's still a kid." Greg commented, taking a drag from his cigarette. He then handed it over to the girl in his lap for her to take a drag. It was then that he and Alex notice Angel whisper something into Jaune's ear, causing him to go wide eyed before nodding his head with that goofy grin on his face.

"If you all excuse us, Jauney and I are going for a private dance." Angel happily chirped.

"Have fun Jaune. Don't spend all your money." Alex said as Angel took Jaune by the hand and led him to the back area.

"He looks so innocent." Commented the woman in Greg's lap with what sounded like a French accent. She was tall and very slender, with long dark silver hair and yellow eyes. At first glance you may think she was Human, but she's actually a Faunus. A snake Faunus to be exact as she had a long, forked tongue like that of a snake. Additionally, she's also extremely flexible, able to wrap her body around yours, ironically like a snake.

"Don't worry Ash, we've been helping him gain some confidence and break out of his shell. It seems to be going well so far." Greg replied to the now identified snake Faunus.

"Oh Greg, you are so sweet and caring, on top of being smart and handsome. Why can't more men be like you?" Ash said in a sweet, wishful tone while flicking her tongue out just like a snake would.

"I bet you say that to everyone." Greg replied with a grin. Ash looked genuinely offended at that comment.

"No, it's true. You, Alex, Ivan and Nick are Godsends compared to all the drunks, punks, creeps and losers we deal with normally." Ash replied.

"Godsends?" Alex asked, overhearing Ash and Greg.

"For starters, you guys practice personal hygiene and dress nice, unlike the majority of our clientele." Sapphire answered.

"You're all very polite and respectful." Ash added. Just then, a waitress walked up and collected the glasses before placing two fresh ones down.

"You guys don't grope the waitresses as the walk by." The waitress added. It was then that both Greg and Alex gently slipped 5 lien cards into her panties. "Not to mention you actually tip the waitresses." She said before walking away with a smile.

"But what I personally admire most about you all, is that you guys aren't judgmental towards Faunus or anybody." Ash said with a hopeful look in her eye. True, the Voluptuous Vixen was tolerant and open minded for the most part, but what happen more often than not, is that Faunus dancers will be verbally mocked or ignored completely by Humans, and vice versa with Human dancers and Faunus. The bouncers only intervene if there's physical assault or if they're causing too much of a disturbance, so a lot of times the girls just take it and move on.

"What can we say? It's just who we are." Greg answered. In all honesty, it's not that hard to be a decent person.

"Well don't ever change." Ash said before pulling him into a hug. Despite her skinny frame, her hugs were very strong, almost like you were being constricted by a python.

"As touching as this moment is, how about we follow your friend Jaune's example, and head to the back area?" Sapphire asked with a mischievous grin. Both Alex and Greg looked at each other, then the women in their laps, and then back at each other.

"Lead the way." Alex said. As Sapphire and Ash lead them towards the back area, they manage to get a good glimpse of Ivan doing one handed push ups with five girls on his back, and Nick who appeared to be tied to a chair while a girl whipped him with what looks like his belt.

 **Cinder**

The first thing Cinder noticed when she "entered" their apartment, was how clean and tidy it was. Just like the office, everything seemed to have a place. The living room area was carpeted and consisted of a couch, coffee table, and two recliners situated in front of a TV set with a video game console nestled under it and multiple genres of games. Connected to the living room was the kitchen and dining area complete with a table, chairs, stove, dishwasher, pantry and for some reason, two refrigerators. Next to the pantry, was a small doorway that led to the in-unit washer and dryer. Adjacent to the kitchen, was a hallway that had five doorways, one being the bathroom and the four the bedrooms. Finally, at the end of the hall was a glass sliding door that led to an outdoor balcony with a small glass table and a couple lawn chairs on it. Compared to the student dorms, these staff apartments are superior in every way. Cinder felt annoyed at the fact she had to stay in a student dorm but remembered that it was only temporary.

The second major thing Cinder noticed in their apartment, was the flag that hung in the living room wall. It was a simple design consisting of three horizontal fields with white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. She wasn't sure if it's supposed to represent something or if it was just a trinket they purchased from a custom hobby shop, but she went ahead and got a picture of it. She then did a quick lookover of the kitchen, noticing that it contained a lot of fresh and healthy items. Various vegetables, fruits, lean meats, dairy and whole grain choices filled the fridge and pantry. Cinder made a note on how their clean eating habits seem to coincide with their physical capabilities.

But in addition to the food, there were copious amounts of alcohol that seemed to make up a good amount of their beverages. Aside from coffee, tea and juices, there were bottles of liquor all throughout the kitchen. The majority of them appear to be vodka, but there were a few other choices like whisky, gin and rum. She then discovered that the second fridge was solely used to store beer. Lagers and Ales, light and dark, they seemed to have almost every type of beer there is. Cinder was perplexed at how one could have such a healthy diet yet consume very large amounts of alcohol.

Taking a quick look in the laundry room, she instantly recognized their uniforms that were stuffed in the laundry basket and decided to take a closer look. The first thing she took note of was the unique, digital composition of colors that adorned it. Green appeared to be the base color, but it was mixed with other shades of green, black, gray, brown, and tan. She assumed that the coloration was useful for helping them blend in forested and grassland areas but could also be used in mountain or arid desert environments as well.

 _"Very interesting."_ She thought.

The material it was made of felt fairly rough and durable, yet comfortable enough to wear on a regular basis. Cinder took notice of other little details like the semi loose fit and multiple pockets, but the most eye-catching detail was the Velcro shoulder patch the depicted the same flag that was hung in the living room. It's clear in Cinder's mind that this white, blue and red flag represents something, but has no idea what. She took a few pictures of the uniforms from multiple angles for good measure. While not the most fashionable attire, it certainly seems more practical than wearing brightly colored clothes.

Now it was time for her to check out their personal rooms. But first, she was going to take a quick look in the bathroom or more specifically, the medicine cabinets. Again, it was clean and tidy, with a hint of lemon in the air and contained items you'd normally find in a bathroom. She searched through the cabinets and drawers, only to find that the closest thing they had to medicine was aspirin and foot powder. It seems they didn't appear to have any major health issues or allergies, which is unfortunate for her because knowing an enemy's health concerns can easily be exploited for future use.

 **The Voluptuous Vixen**

"Hey Angel, where's Jaune?" Alex asked the bird Faunus, finally finished with his private dance. It's no surprise that he lost track of time, especially when you have a sexy tattooed babe like Sapphire bumping and grinding all over you. As far as he knew, Greg was probably still back there with Ash.

"Last I heard he was going to the restroom." She replied.

"Why, did he enjoy your dance a little _too_ much?" Alex couldn't help laughing when he asked.

"No silly! All those drinks are starting to catch up to him. I was very gentle." She exclaimed with a playful slap to his chest.

"Hey, I wouldn't blame him if uh…that happened. You are a sexy little thing after all." He said, flashing a grin and making her blush slightly.

"Alex, you're such a charmer. But your friend Jaune is soooo adorable!" She squealed.

"How so?" Alex asked, slightly curious what she meant.

"He was so nervous and shy, that I had to coax him into touching me, and when he finally did, he was so gentle and cuddly, I couldn't help but squeeze him to death!" Alex watched with amusement as Angel fawned over Jaune. "And then we picked up where we left off of on our conversation earlier and believe me when I say that he's a great listener! Even when he's drunk off his ass, you can still have meaningful and insightful conversations with him."

"A semi-functional drunk? Interesting." Alex commented on Jaune's behavior while intoxicated.

"I guarantee when he gets a girlfriend, she'll be the luckiest girl in the world. Heck, if I didn't have a boyfriend already, I would've seriously considered Jaune as a potential option." Right as she said that, her name was called up to the stage and she said her goodbyes to him. Alex thought about the possibility of Angel and Jaune for a brief second before tossing the idea the out.

 _"She's like almost 30, if not already. Besides, I doubt he'd be okay with his girl working at a place like this."_ Alex thought. It was then that he saw Ash and Greg walk out, hand in hand, and both smoking cigarettes. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before parting ways with each other.

"What time is it?" Greg asked as he walked up to Alex.

"It's almost five." He answered, surprised. They must've _really_ lost track of time.

"Damn, I guess we should find everyone else and head back?" Alex simply nodded in response. They say nothing good ever happens after 2 A.M., and it's almost 5 A.M. so they should probably get going. Luckily, they didn't have to search very hard because all three of them were sitting at the bar, laughing and drinking with each other.

"…So then Ivan chucks a dodgeball and it knocks some guys soda out of his hand and spilled all over this fat lady and her bratty kid!" Everyone, including a couple of waitresses and strippers laughed at Nick's tale of them at the trampoline gymnasium.

"Too be fair, I was aiming for the lady herself. She was rude and bitchy to the staff and her kid, well let's just say I've never considered hitting a child until that day." Ivan elaborated. They then noticed Alex and Greg walking up.

"There you guys are." Ivan said, acknowledging their presence.

"You guys missed it. Jaune here took the Four Nuckelavee challenge!" Nick exclaimed. They both looked over to Jaune and could tell he was pretty fucked up. And why wouldn't he be? The Four Nuckelavee is like the Four Horseman shot on Earth, only instead of one mixed shot, you take four individual shots of four types of whisky. In this case, Mack Daniel's, Tim Beam, Donny Walker and Freemason's brand whisky's

"How's he doing?" Alex asked.

"Other than not being able to walk a straight line, he's okay." Ivan answered. Jaune responded with a thumbs up. The four consecutive whisky shots hit a lot harder than he anticipated, but damned if he didn't enjoy himself. He felt like he could take on the whole world.

It was then that he noticed another stripper sitting at the end of the bar. Now his mind was pretty fuzzy from the alcohol, but he could've sworn this chick looked a lot like someone he knew. She was a tall Human with a nice athletic build and long bright red hair that complimented the most beautiful green eyes he's ever seen. Her "outfit" was a red with gold trim, satin Bustier and matching thong set, and a plentitude of jewelry. In Jaunes mind, there's only one word to describe her…Damn!

But for the life of him, he just couldn't figure out who this red haired, green eyed stripper reminded him of.

As he admired her from the other side, a guy walked up to her and began talking to her. The guy could be best described as your standard, run of the mill, douchey rich guy. When she responded, the guy suddenly looked angry. Jaune may be sloshed out of his mind, but even could tell that she wanted this guy to get lost. He looked around to maybe find a bouncer, but they were at the other side of the club dealing with another group of rowdy drunks. With no one around, his chivalrous instincts kicked in and began hobbling towards the guy. When he got closer, he was able to hear the conversation more clearly.

"I said I'm on break right now. There's plenty of other girls you can get a dance from." The red head sternly said to the douchebag.

"I don't want those other girls." The douche replied with a sneer. "Now why don't you be a good little whore and…"

"Hey! The lady said no." Jaune said with confident tone. The douche and the stripper looked at the blonde knight with mild curiosity before he was shoved away the douche.

"Piss off!" He shouted before turning back to the red head. As Jaune braced himself for the imminent impact of the floor, he suddenly found himself being caught by Ivan and Greg.

"Are you just going to stand there and take that Arc?" Nick asked. Jaune looked back at the douche and suddenly realized that he was twice his size. As much as he wanted to teach that guy a lesson, he knows he'll get pummeled. Right as he was about to turn away, Alex stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. We've got your back." Alex reassured the knight. With the comfort that Alex and the other's have his back, a new surge of strength shot through Jaune. He walked back up and tapped the douches shoulder.

"What do you…" Before he could finish the question, Jaune floored the douche with a sucker punch, knocking him into a nearby table. Both the Russians and the red head were surprised and amazed at Jaune's feat. However, they didn't notice the douche was already back on his feet and in turn, sucker punched Jaune right in the face, sending him hurdling towards the red head who barely managed to catch him. Just as he was about to strike him again, the douche suddenly found himself surrounded by four drunk, angry Russians who looked to be more experienced when it came to bar fighting.

"Enough! What the hell happened?" Everyone turned to see Rocko and two other bouncers appear, each of them brandishing weapons.

"He started it." Greg said, pointing to the douche.

"Bullshit! That fucking blonde kid sucker punched me!" He retorted.

"Then why does he have a black eye?" The red head spoke, pointing to the shiner Jaune now possessed.

"Hey fucking punched me into that table!" The douche shouted.

"You punched the kid in the face. Of course he's going to retaliate. It was purely self-defense." Alex commented. Rocko and the other bouncers glared at the douche.

"That's all I needed to hear. You're out of here." Rocko said to the douche.

"They're fucking lying!" He tried to plead, but Rocko cocked his shotgun and casually aimed it towards him.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Rocko said. In truth, he figured the blonde kid probably did throw the first punch, but since he was part of Alex's crew, and they're good guys, the douche probably had it coming.

Not wanting to test his luck, the douche reluctantly made for the exit with Rocko and the bouncers in tow.

"Nice punch Arc!" Nick complimented the knight. Jaune gave him a thumbs up, while holding a bag of ice to his face, courtesy of the bar tender.

"Hey." He looked up to see the red head standing in front of him, with a smile on her face.

"Uh, hey." Jaune replied.

"You didn't have to do that but thank you though." She said. Jaune just shrugged it off.

"Hey, let it never be said that Jaune Arc ignored a damsel in distress." He flashed her a toothy grin, to which she rolled her eyes but still had a smile.

"Jaune eh? Well, aren't you the chivalrous knight." She said with amusement and they both shared a quick laugh.

"What can I say?" He commented.

"Well Jaune, I have to get going soon, but if you ever find yourself back here, ask for Crimson, and I'll make sure you get a free dance." Crimson said in a sultrier tone before giving him a quick peck on the cheek, making him blush.

"Hmm. Drunk Jaune seems to be better with women than when he's sober." Nick commented.

"Hopefully some of that confidence stays with him when he sobers up." Ivan said.

"It would certainly help out his team leading duties." Greg added.

"Speaking of which, I think it's about we left. His team is probably worried about him." Alex said, taking note that it's starting to get closer to 6 A.M.

"I'll call Gary." Greg said, pulling out his scroll. Right as he said that, they heard a loud thump and saw Jaune passed out at the bar, snoring loudly.

"Ivan, do you mind?" Alex asked. Ivan understood what he meant and went to go sling Jaune over his shoulder.

"And that's the sign of a good night out." Nick commented.

 **The Russians apartment, earlier that evening**

Cinder was searching through Ivan's room. She at least assumed it was his, based on the size of the clothes in his closet. The bedrooms were relatively simple with a full-size bed, desk and chair, dresser, and a small closet. Ivan's room was clean and free of clutter. Even his bed was made. His room was decorated with various posters and action figures of comic book heroes. The actual comics were stacked up by his bed right next to several cartons of cigarettes.

Another thing she noticed was the pile of cook books on his desk. Many were based off the different cuisines of the different kingdoms, while the others focused on specific types of food like desserts. Cinder is correct to assume that Ivan is indeed a competent cook. In fact, he cooks meals for the guys every day. He enjoys cooking as a hobby and the guys certainly enjoy eating his meals. And when it's all done, they clean up afterwards and do the shopping for groceries. An even trade-off. She skimmed through the books and found several recipes bookmarked and with hand written notes on the pages, most likely variations. Several of the recipes bookmarked were one's that even she enjoyed.

 _"At least he has good taste."_ Cinder thought while searching his computer. It didn't take long for her to go through his emails and files to determine that Ivan had nothing for her to use. The only things she found remotely interesting was that the cooks in the cafeteria wanted Ivan to help them bake desserts for the upcoming dance, and that he smokes Stallion brand cigarettes, Gold pack to be exact. Compared to other editions, they have a much milder flavor. As for the cafeteria cooks, Ivan got referred to them by some of the other residents in the apartment wing when they smelt his wonderful cooking and has on occasion helped make new dishes to add to the menu. Seeing as there's nothing else on the big one, she moved to the next room.

Unlike Ivan's room, this one was fucking trashed. The bed was unmade, clothes were all over the floor, and the trash can was over flowing. Posters of women in bikinis covered the walls, and an odd assortment of hand and power tools that were shoved into the corner. The answer to why there were so many tools, was sitting on the desk. A stack of trouble tickets, maintenance work orders, and system schematics were sitting under a hand-written note that said:

 _"Nick, thank you for assisting in keeping our academy up and running. It's getting harder to find decent maintenance personnel and the one's we have are stretched thin as it is. I'll be sure you're compensated for your time."_ Cinder read the note signed by Glynda, recalling that Nick was the one she saw hotwire a jeep the other day. Since he grew up working as a part time mechanic and general handyman, it was no surprise that Nick found himself assisting the school maintenance crew on occasion. Putting the pieces together, she concluded that Nick was a handy person and good at working with tools. As interesting as his maintaining abilities may be, they are of no concern to her.

She then searched his desk drawers, only to find a box of condoms and dozens of packs of Stallion Blacks, a very smooth, yet bold flavored cigarette. Turning her attention to his computer, Cinder prepared to open his emails but the title of a video on the tab that was still open got her attention. "Hot Faunus MILF seduces lesbian Human teen." Cinder rolled her eyes and slightly shuddered at the boldness of Nick for leaving something like that opened on his computer. It was then that it occurred to her that this is one exception where she won't go through Nick's computer because well… she didn't want to touch it. With nothing else, it's time for room number three.

After washing her hands, Cinder found the third room to be messy, but organized. A lot of notebooks and academic texts were spread all throughout the room. She noticed that they were organized into separate piles based on their subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics, history, Grimm anatomy, Dust properties, telecommunications, Remnant law and so much more. Whoever occupied this room is certainly a studious person and could be considered a major threat. Her question was answered upon seeing a shipping invoice from Rubicon addressed to Greg.

Greg was the only one she didn't meet on their initial arrival and after witnessing him as a sniper, she concluded that he must've been in a hidden position, watching her from afar. It's possible that he may have noticed her, and Emeralds deceptive tactics used to bypass the security, which left Cinder slightly concerned. However, no one's seemed to act on her, so it's also possible they pulled it off…or they're simply waiting and biding their time. Either way, she has her orders and will be ready for them, should Ozpin, Ironwood, or the Russians decided to act.

Looking past the multiple packs of Stallion Greens, a menthol variety of the cigarette brand, Cinder picked up one of Greg's notebook to see if there was anything of value. Upon opening it, she was confused and flabbergasted at what was written. It wasn't that it was written in cursive that surprised her, but at the fact that it was written in a strange language she couldn't read. At first, she thought it was just bad handwriting, but a closer look revealed that there were letters that weren't part of the Common alphabet. There were some letters that resembled what she'd normally see, but then there were one's like a backwards "R" or "N", and then some that didn't even look like letters at all. She looked through other notebooks to find that they were all written in this strange language.

Several questions popped into her head like if it was based on some ancient language, or possibly a made up one for coded messages. If this was some sort of new alphabet created, then Ozpin or Ironwood or whoever can send coded messages throughout Remnant that would be impossible for the average person to read. Her superiors had to know about this immediately. She took several pictures of different pages to get a good sample of words and letters that maybe they can decipher or trace its origins. While taking the pictures, she couldn't help but wonder what Greg was writing about as his entries looked very detailed and organized.

In truth, Greg is an observant person and was comparing similarities to Earth, but also asked questions on how it was possible that the two worlds seemed to share common aspects of life while being completely different. For starters, he noted that Remnant uses the standard 24-hour day like Earth and that their calendar is based of the Georgian one, with the months and days of the week the same as on Earth. Yet, how did they get those names, when they're based on Latin roots? Then there were his observations on mathematics where he found that many equations, constants, symbols and notations were the exact same as back home like Pythagorean's theorem, the quadratic formula, pi and trigonometric identities. But then he goes on about how it is possible they have symbols like pi, sigma, or theta when they're Greek letters? And then there's the fact that they everyone speaks English, uses the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals. He even noticed that people are familiar with Roman numerals despite the Romans or Greeks or any of these ancient cultures not existing on Remnant. His notes go on and on, asking questions to himself about the little things that have been engraved into our heads that we rarely notice. With the major score of the Russian language added to her investigating, she left Greg's room, not even wasting time checking his computer and headed for the last room.

The last room. The one who's occupant had her attention while also having her practicing caution around: Alex. Honestly, things would've been so much simpler if he didn't get involved. She would've easily infiltrated Beacon whether the police were there or not and carry out her plans no problem. However, Alex and his friends are certainly not as incompetent as other people and have been watching her and her crew like hawks since then. One of them always seem to be nearby whether she's in the cafeteria, the hallways or Glynda's combat class. She wanted to sit in during his class but was turned away like the other transfers due to a full class. But then she witnessed the four of them take on an entire army and come out on top. These were not men who should be taken lightly.

Upon entering his room, she was greeted to probably the cleanest and most under decorated room ever. No posters, no piles of random oddities. Nothing. The only things that stood out were the cartons of Stallion Reds, the original, full-flavored cigarettes, and a couple of books on his desk. She opened the first book and was greeted with more Russian cursive writing and photos of herself, Emerald and Mercury. Cinder had no idea what was written, but it appeared to be notes on the three of them. She smiled inwardly at the fact that they seemed to have the same idea of observing your enemy.

" _It appears great minds do think alike after all."_ She thought. Several of the notes were highlighted and underlined for emphasis, especially on Emerald's profile. Thanks to the advance security measures, and thorough searches, they are aware of Mercury's prosthetic legs and Emerald's illusion Semblance. She didn't reveal the extent of how powerful her Semblance was, but Alex and Greg believed it was enough to fool the policemen at the docks. Alex also wrote in that Greg observed the intense looks of concentration and focus she had on her face when going through security, while also noting how she appeared to show signs of exhaustion leading to him and Alex to hypothesize that her Semblance puts a lot of strain on her body. Definitely something to watch out for.

Cinder then looked at her profile to see that her picture was circled in red marker, indicating that she was the ring leader, with several other notes having underlined portions. She went ahead and took a picture of Alex's notes on her for her own amusement rather than information. Looking at the other book on the desk, she was surprised to find that it was a book of sheet music. Out of all the things that she complied about Alex, his leadership abilities, maturity and shrewdness, being musically inclined was not something she would've guessed. The book contained lots of classical compositions that were normally associated with the upper class and were normally played on a piano, leading her to believe that the piano was his instrument of choice. As it turns out, playing the piano was one of the few things that he enjoyed while growing up.

 _"Smart, strong, confident, ruthless in combat, cultured with music, and okay to look at. If only you weren't such a righteous one. The world could be ours."_ Cinder mused as she looked through his computer, only to find nothing of value. Now that she's searched through everything she could, it seems that she's reached a dead end and will definitely have to pass everything off to her superiors. Sure, she found a few noteworthy bits of information like the flag they have and the unique language, but other than that there wasn't much for her to go on. She stepped out onto their balcony to get some fresh air, only to see a large ammo can filled with enough cigarette butts to fill 30 cartons.

"They're going to end up drinking and smoking themselves to death. It'll certainly make my job easier." She joked to herself before her scroll went off.

 _"You know what to do."_ The message she read had a large file attached to it. Finally, the virus has arrived. Cinder thoroughly inspected the apartment to make sure not a single thing was out of place before heading back to her room and planning for the next phase.

 _"Just in time for the upcoming dance."_ Cinder smirked, knowing that the dance will be the perfect time to strike.

 **JNPR's room, 0710**

Lucky for the Russians, Jaune was awake enough to guide them towards his room and most of the students were still asleep. They'd rather not explain why four drunk teachers were carrying an even drunker student back to his room. A couple knocks, and the door swung open to reveal a frantic Pyrrha.

"Jaune!" She cried out.

"What's up Pyrrha?" He replied. It was then that Ren and Nora appeared and noticed the Russians standing behind him.

"Where have you been all night!? We were worried sick!" Nora practically screamed in his face, though Jaune just had a grin on his face as he drunkenly placed a finger on her lips.

"Relax guys, I just ran into Alex and the guys here and had the best fucking night of my life!" He exclaimed while the rest of his team were shocked at him cursing.

"You could've at least called us." Pyrrha said with mild disappointment.

"I know. I totally fucked that up and I am sorry. But these guys…" Jaune pointed towards the Russians. "…are some of the smartest motherfuckers out there and they know how to have a good time." Jaune explained despite having difficulty standing straight, which Ren was quick to notice.

"Jaune, are you drunk?" He asked, and the knight made the 'a little bit' hand gesture causing the girls to gasp. Alex then stepped in to hopefully cool things down.

"Now don't you guys worry. He'll be fine after a goodnight's…or good day's sleep and some water and he'll be good to go." Alex said, but he could tell Pyrrha was still upset.

"But why would you take him drinking?!" She respects Alex as an instructor and a fellow warrior but getting her team leader and not so subtle crush drunk off his ass seems irresponsible.

"Well the night started out with us taking Jaune to the Crimson Leviathan…" Alex started.

"You guys went to a casino?" Ren interrupted, and Alex nodded.

"Why did you take him there?" Nora jumped in before Alex could continue. It was then that Jaune hobbled back up to explain himself.

"Hey, don't be mad at these guys. They taught me all sorts of stuff about getting stronger and being a better leader." He said, leaving NPR giving him curious looks. "I learned more about girls and leadership and life in general from one night with these guys, than the seventeen years of learning on my own." That seemed to have calmed his team down a little. Pyrrha then turned to Alex.

"Okay, I'm still a little upset about Jaune coming back drunk, but if you guys were helping him build his confidence, then I guess I can't be too mad." She said with light grin.

"I don't blame you for being upset. Jaune's a good guy and I'd hate to see him not live up to his full potential. We pointed him in the right direction, now it's up to you, his teammates to make sure he keeps going. You think you can manage that?" He asked the other members of JNPR.

"Of course." Ren said.

"Totally!" Nora exclaimed.

"Is that even a question?" Pyrrha responded. It was nice knowing that someone other than her saw potential in Jaune.

"Man, you guys are the best fucking teammates anyone could ask for. Come on, bring it in." He held out his arms and soon all of JNPR were sharing a group hug with their drunk team leader. Pyrrha certainly enjoyed the close contact, but then noticed that he reeked of alcohol, cigarette smoke and…perfume?

"So, Jaune. Did you spend the whole night at the casino?" She asked.

"Oh no. After I won half a million lien, we all went to a strip club where I drank more, saw naked women and punched some guy in the face." He casually explained while his team went wide eyed.

"You won half a million lien!?" Ren asked, flabbergasted that Jaune has such a large sum of money on him.

"You punched some guy in the face!?" Nora exclaimed, thinking that Jaune didn't have it in him.

"You went to a strip club?" Pyrrha asked, almost sounding heartbroken but keeping her composure.

"Yes, yes, and yes." Jaune replied. Alex noticed the slight saddening on Pyrrha's face and stepped close to whisper in her ear.

"Don't worry, he didn't do anything in case you were wondering. If anything, it seemed to break him out of his shell when it comes to women." He tried to reassure to her.

"That's…good, I guess." She replied, not sure how she should be feeling. It was then that she tuned in to his story of how he won the money and why he punched a guy in the face.

"So this guy was bothering one of the strippers and you clocked him in the face?" Jaune nodded at Nora. "That is so cool!" She exclaimed.

"You know it's funny, that stripper totally reminded me of someone I knew, but I just can't put my finger on it." Jaune said out loud. It was then that he looked at Pyrrha and suddenly, something clicked in his head. "Holy shit! That's who she reminded me of!" He yelled pointing at her.

"…Me?" She asked.

"Okay, it obviously wasn't you, but the resemblance was there." He said, looking Pyrrha up and down and mentally picturing her in the sexy lingerie Crimson was wearing. She noticed him staring and felt a warming sensation in her cheeks.

 _"Is he picturing me dressed like a stripper?"_ Her face started to grow redder at the thought.

"She may do lap dances for money, but she was still a person and I wasn't going to stand by while some douchebag was giving her a hard time." Jaune proclaimed, earning everyone's approval. Just then he felt like the room was spinning and it was giving him a headache.

"Are you all right Jaune?" She worriedly asked.

"Yeah, I think I just need to lie down." He answered while walking past Pyrrha and towards his bed.

"Make sure you drink plenty of water." Greg said to Jaune who nodded and turned back to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, be a pal and get me some water please." Before she could respond, the sensation of Jaune slapping her behind caused her to stop and catch everyone else off guard by Jaune's boldness. Ren and Nora's jaws dropped, while the Russians had smirks and were mentally cheering for Jaune.

And then there was Pyrrha.

As if her face wasn't red enough already, it was now the same coloration as her hair. She just stood there, her face with a look of total shock across her face. However, if you were to look closely, you would see that she was trying her hardest to suppress a growing smile. Both Alex and Greg managed to notice and grinned at each other.

After what felt like forever, Pyrrha managed to get herself together and go fetch a glass of water for Jaune, who was already laying down in his bed. Alex and the others told NPR that it's best just to let him sleep it off and that he'll fine later before they left to get some sleep.

"And our work here is done." Alex said out loud as they made their way back.

"Those two need to just kiss already." Greg commented.

"Same with Ren and Nora." Ivan added.

"Seriously, the tension on that team can be cut with a knife." Nick said.

"I wonder if he's going to remember everything when he sobers up?" Alex asked.

 **Meanwhile**

Dozens of people were in a large, gymnasium type room that was filled up with cots. The people that occupied this space was a melting pot of both Humans and Faunus, males and females, young and old with only one thing in common: They were forgotten by society. Broke, jobless, homeless, starving and living on the streets. These were people that got dealt a bad hand in life, people that no one cared about, people that would not be missed if they were to disappear.

"What do we have?" A man asked another.

"A total of 70. 40 males with 20 of them being Faunus, and 30 females with 17 of them being Faunus. Ages are spread throughout but the youngest is a 10-year-old female Faunus and the oldest being a Human male closing in on 60." The second one responded, reading the tallies off a clip board. The first man chuckled.

"It's amazing how eager these people are willing to follow you when they're promised simple necessities like hot food and a bed." He said in amusement.

"Much more efficient than simply abducting them from the streets. Now, they come to us."

"When are the doctors supposed to begin?"

"There's a group of ten that are ready to go. The others are still undergoing medical treatment."

"Who would've guessed that living on the streets would have such adverse effects on one's health?" The first man said sarcastically.

"Hey, the doctors said they needed their 'patients' to be as healthy as possible to get accurate results."

"Well, hopefully they get fixed up soon. We have a lot of batches to test."

"Based on their progress, everything will be ready by the time the festival is in full swing."

"Good to hear. By now, Cinder should've received the virus to continue with the operation."

"I also heard she needs help in finding information on a group of individuals."

"Yeah, she sent the message and a bunch of pictures to HQ to have the intelligence guys get a crack at it."

"Interesting that the men she is requesting aid on is the group of men who fought Ironwoods forces in Vale."

"I saw that video. We already assumed the Atlesian army wasn't in the best shape but seeing it first hand just confirmed what we already assumed, and now people are starting to turn against Atlas. We should thank them for their assistance."

"There's a rumor going around that those were the men who rescued the civilians at the fall of Oxford."

"Interesting. What's the Directors take on this?"

"He's aware of the situation and is taking Cinder's request for a more in-depth search on them, but it's deemed a low priority task."

"It's four guys. They're of no concern to us."

"Considering they apparently have no records in Vale, I can understand her concerns."

"Whatever. So long as she doesn't mess this up, Vale will fall, and then the rest of Remnant will soon follow."

 **A/N:**

 **All right, this is perfectly timed right when volume 6 comes out. With that in mind, I'm going to have to watch it to see if any details are going to be changed for future chapters. It's not going to change the overall story, but maybe a few things here or there.**

 **Next up chronologically is the dance and it's when the action is going to pick back up.**

 **Also, I have no idea how exactly Jaune would act if he was drunk, but this works out for my amusement.**

 **You guys know the drill for questions, comments and what not.**

 **Hawk out**


	17. Chapter 17

**A lot shorter than normal, but this is where the story breaks away from being a regular story where an OC just joins RWBY and the gang during the cannon.**

 **I own nothing except OC's**

Chapter 17: Cinder's bane

 **Beacon Dance**

As tradition, the academy of the kingdom hosting the Vytal Festival holds an evening ball to build camaraderie with the other kingdoms' students, and to unwind and relax from all the hard work they've done so far. Students and teachers alike were dressed in formal attire, dancing and mingling amongst each other while Atlesian soldiers stood off to the sides, keeping watch should shit hit the fan…not that it would. They weren't alone in providing security, as Alex and the guys were also part of the security detail. Unlike the soldiers, they were suited up and mingling with the crowd like they were normal guests. Of course, they had radios to communicate with each other and kept their pistols concealed and ready for use, loaded with what Peach and Ironwood refer to as "Aura Piercers". Hopefully it won't come to them using their only advantage over Remnant natives.

Alex made his way through the crowd, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary while ignoring the "looks" he was receiving from a number of female students and even a couple of faculty members. Wearing a nice suit just seemed to make him stand out more in the crowd rather than blend in…apparently. Sure, Alex is aware that he's a decent looking guy, but the majority of these girls are looking at him like they've never seen a member of the opposite sex before. He compared it to those Japanese cartoons where all the women seem to fall in love with the male protagonist: Completely unrealistic, unlikely, and simply used for entertainment purposes. And yet somehow, he feels like one of those characters. An odd sensation, yet easily ignored once you remember that you're not an anime character.

As he approached the refreshment table, he noticed Greg and Professor Peach conversing with each other. If he had to guess, they were having deep, intellectual conversations about stuff he has no clue about. Out of the four, Greg is the only one who has a solid grasp on any scientific subject, so it makes sense that he and Peach can discuss theories and concepts freely.

"So the atoms in Dust can become ions and isotopes as well?" He asked, taking a sip of punch.

"Yes. It's how we can combine different Dust types and use them for different applications." She happily replied while adjusting her glasses. For her, it's nice having another person to talk to that's interested in science and can understand what she's talking about. Sure, Dr. Oobleck can be talked to, but he's more of a historian, and Greg certainly has an analytical and inquisitive mind for science, much to her enjoyment.

Alex then saw Nick surrounded by Port, Oobleck and a couple of other staff members. It looked like he was telling a story or joke while everyone listened intently.

"…P.S. your vagina's in the sink!" Nick exclaimed, causing everyone around him to roar out with laughter. Alex chuckled at Port doing a spit take with his punch before bellowing out that jolly laugh of his.

And then there was Ivan over at the refreshment table looking over some of the desserts he helped make which consisted of various pastries and cakes that everyone seemed to enjoy, particularly one Glynda Goodwitch.

"Mmm, this cake is delicious! And you said you made it from scratch?" Glynda asked Ivan, stuffing more of the chocolate cake into her mouth.

"That's how mother taught me to make it." Ivan replied with a satisfied grin. He takes pride in his work, so it was nice knowing that people enjoyed his cooking.

"Well then, you must share the recipe for this, oh what did you call it?" Glynda asked, grabbing another slice.

"Prague cake. And sure, I can share the recipe with you." Ivan said.

"Glynda, that's your fourth slice of cake." Ironwood innocently commented.

"Are you trying to say something James?" She asked in a very unsettling tone while narrowing her eyes at the implication that he's calling her fat. Ozpin, standing close by, chuckled to himself.

"Nope." Ironwood replied with a straight face. As a general, he knows there's a time to go on the offensive, and a time to pull out of an unwinnable situation. This was one of those times. Lucky for him, Alex walked up and gave him the perfect excuse to change the subject.

"Headmaster, General." Alex greeted the two before grabbing a glass of punch to quench his thirst.

"Ah, Alex. Enjoying yourself?" Ozpin asked, sipping coffee from his mug.

"For the most part." He replied.

"You know, my men could've handled the security detail for tonight." Ironwood commented. Alex merely shrugged.

"It's no trouble. In fact, it's better to have a few guys hidden in the crowd. Besides, I want to make sure we have multiple eyes on our 'guests of honor'". Alex said in regard to Cinder and her cronies. So far, the trio were hanging out at a table, talking to each other and eating the different desserts Ivan cooked up. Alex brought it up to the other's on whether Cinder might make a move tonight. Greg suggested that it's probable, given that everyone is here at the dance where all the attention will be focused on for the night.

"Still, you four work very hard with your teaching duties and the extra help you do around the academy. It's only fair that you should take time to relax." Ozpin commented. Now that Alex thought about it, they have been doing a number of odd jobs around the school. Greg occasionally helps out in the tutoring center, helping students with their studies. Ivan's been working down in the kitchens with the other cooks while Nick found himself doing maintenance work around the school. And Alex somehow became the liaison between Beacon and the Atlesian garrison stationed there. It's not a hard job, he just didn't plan on it. He thought for a moment that they should renegotiate their pay but remembered that their ace in the hole against Aura users is expensive and difficult to manufacture. So, they'll live with it.

"Trust me, we find plenty of time to relax." Alex replied.

"Glad to hear. Huntsmen and soldiers tend to overlook the importance of rest and relaxation." Ozpin commented.

"Speaking of which, will Specialist Schnee be joining us this evening?" Alex asked Ironwood.

"I'm afraid not. She's out on patrol tonight." He answered.

"That's a shame." Alex replied with a very mild hint of disappointment.

"By the way, did you say something to her the other day after out meeting? Because prior to and during, she was very upset. But then afterwards she appeared a lot calmer." Ironwood asked.

"I gave her back the knife that almost killed me and we agreed that there's no hard feelings between us…for the most part." Alex replied.

"That's good to hear. I think Ozpin and I can agree that it's better if we all get along." Ironwood said.

"Plus with her sitting in on our lessons, it's for the best." Alex commented.

"Yes, I've been reviewing her notes and I must say that the information you're providing is very helpful and relevant to current threats." The general stated.

"You're welcome. I'm also glad that Schnee and her entourage have held up their end of the bargain and are simply observing." Alex pointed out.

"Well if anything, you certainly have her attention." Ironwood commented.

"Is that good or bad?" Alex asked.

"A little of both. Good as in she has a certain level of respect for you, and bad as in she's not going to forget her recent defeat." Ironwood answered.

"Wonderful." Alex replied sarcastically. After a few more minutes of chatting, both parties went off to do their own thing, with Ironwood asking Glynda for a dance, and Alex casually strolling through the ballroom. He passed by several familiar faces including RWBY, JNPR, Sun, Neptune and of course Cinder's crew who were still idly chatting away at their table. It normally wouldn't mean anything, but the fact that they haven't moved from their table and seem to be constantly watching their surroundings, gives more reason for Alex to assume that their going to try something.

But it seems that as long as Alex is around, their going to stay quiet. Hoping that maybe they can finally get rid of Cinder, Alex decided to step out and have a smoke with the intention that Cinder will make her move. Luckily, the music switched to something faster and more upbeat, giving him a perfect cover to slip out.

As Alex made his way down the hallway, he noticed another girl walking towards him. At least he thought it was a girl. He could tell she was in a dress but her overall build seemed a little too masculine. It wasn't until the "girl" stepped into the light, that she was revealed as non other than Jaune Arc…in a dress. Both stopped in front of each other with the young "man" looking nervous and Alex raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I can explain." Jaune said with a straight face but Alex just held his hand up.

"I'm not surprised that you're in a dress, as much as I'm more surprised that you have a dress that fits you properly on hand." Alex said in a neutral tone. He was about to continue on and leave Jaune to… whatever it was he was planning, but the knight needed to ask something.

"Hey Alex before you run off, what exactly happened the other night?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember everything up until about midnight. After that it's kind of a blur." Jaune admitted.

"Well, you drank a bunch of shots, punched some guy in the face, and had us help you get back to your room." Alex answered.

"Okay but that doesn't answer why Pyrrha's been acting so weird around me." Jaune replied.

"Weird how?" He already knew why, but he wants to see if Jaune can piece it together.

"She's been so sheepish and nervous around me while giving me these looks. I hope I didn't say or do anything stupid to her." Jaune said, much to Alex's amusement.

"I can't help you there." He answered, admiring his clever wordplay. Alex didn't lie by saying he didn't know, he just said he couldn't help him.

"Ah. Well thanks anyway." As Jaune made his way back to the dance, Alex lightly shook his head.

 _"Jaune, we can help you with most things, but you're on your own with this Pyrrha thing."_ He thought. Like hell he's going to get involved in other people's love lives.

Eventually he did make it outside and propped himself up against a wall before lighting up. He was halfway through his cigarette before Greg radioed him.

 _"One of our 'guests of honor' isn't present at the dance."_ He said. Just then, Alex noticed a flash of movement from the corner of his eye. He looked up towards the rooftops and saw a feminine silhouette in the moonlight making her way towards the CCTV tower. He had a pretty good idea who it was.

"Better let Ironwood know we have a turd in the punchbowl." Alex replied with their code phrase. He threw his cigarette to the ground before readying his pistol to pursue the woman he's pretty sure is Cinder.

 _"Do you know what kind of punch it is?"_ Greg asked, keeping up with the code talking.

"Tower brand." Alex answered, knowing Greg will understand what he means.

 _"I'll tell Ironwood and we'll give you a hand."_

"Make sure Nick and Ivan keep watch over our other 'guests of honor'." Alex stressed to him.

 _"Copy. It might take us a few minutes to leave the dance. We don't want to be 'rude to our guests'."_ Greg was referring to that if he, Ironwood and the Atlesians go storming out of the dance, then no doubt Emerald and Mercury will alert Cinder. They're going to have to play it cool in order to catch her in the act.

Right as Alex was about to take off after Cinder, a rocket locker landed near him. He looked over and saw Ruby Rose draw Crescent Rose from it before awkwardly waving at him.

"Oh, uh Alex. I was just…" He stopped her before she could finish.

"I saw her too." Alex said to her, while wondering why he didn't keep his rifle in a rocket locker.

"So, are we going after her?" Ruby asked.

"Come on Rose, you already know the answer." Alex lightly teased. And with that, the two went on to hopefully stop Cinder from whatever she was planning.

 **Greg**

"General Ironwood." The Atlesian turned to Greg and noticed the serious look on his face. "We have a turd in the punchbowl." Despite the ridiculous code phrase, Ironwood narrowed his eyes as he knew that it meant their enemies were on the move.

"Alex said it looks like she's heading towards the tower and he's pursuing on foot. I've tried alerting the troops at the tower, but my calls aren't getting through." Greg commented with a hint of annoyance. Ironwood then pulled out his scroll to try and contact the rest of the garrison to reinforce the tower but found that he also had no signal.

"Glynda, do you have any signal?" Ironwood asked. She pulled out her scroll only to find that she also had no signal.

"This isn't a coincidence; our scrolls are being jammed somehow." Greg concluded.

"Then we need to get to the tower right now!" Ironwood almost shouted but Greg calmly waved him down.

"Hold on General. Take a look over at that balcony." Greg subtly motioned with his head to where Emerald and Mercury were hanging out. "No doubt they're up there to keep an eye on everyone. If you, I or anyone rush out of here, they're going to alert Cinder. She'll escape, and then we'll have no leads on where to proceed." Greg said matter of factly.

"He's right James. All of us agreed that this Cinder women is certainly not working alone. Somebody else is pulling the strings." Glynda added. Ironwood took a deep breath, realizing that Greg was right.

"We'll need to space out our departures and time them just right to not raise suspicion. Nick and Ivan can stay back and keep an eye on those two." Greg explained while Ironwood seemed to approve his plan.

"Hopefully Alex and the men stationed at the tower can hold out." Ironwood commented.

 **Alex and Ruby**

The first thing they saw upon entering the tower was all the downed guards. Closer inspection reveals the soldiers have sadly, stood their last post. A bunch of clean and precise stab and slash wounds covered their bodies in the more vulnerable parts of their armor. A grisly sight, but Alex could easily push on. Ruby however…

"You good Ruby?" He asked in a concerned, yet firm tone.

"…Yeah." She responded with slight hesitation. Alex figured this was probably the first time she's seen a bunch of dead bodies, so he can understand it being a shock for someone so young. They quickly stepped into the elevator, ignoring the two soldiers with their throats slashed, and prepared themselves for whoever it was that did this. While they ascended, Alex needed to give a quick pep talk to Ruby.

"Listen, I know that wasn't easy to see, but we have to stay focused in order to confront whoever did this." She slightly turned towards him, still looking a little uneasy. "I won't lie, there's a chance we could end up like them, but we can't stand by and do nothing."

"But you don't have an Aura!" She blurted out and quickly covered her mouth, knowing she wasn't supposed to say anything. He just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Who told you that?" He asked.

"…Blake." She reluctantly replied.

 _"Ah Blake, you suck. Oh well."_ Alex thought. "I'm still alive right?" Ruby nodded. "Then I'm obviously doing something right." He said with a light grin. "Look, if something happens to me, just get out of here and find help."

"Are you sure?"

"You're still young and have your whole life ahead of you." He simply said.

"Well, let me go in first. I know what you said, but I'm more protected than you are and can take more hits." She said in a more confident tone. Alex would normally disagree, but he doesn't have a protective Aura, so it's probably a good idea to send Ruby in first.

"Spoken like a true team leader. Alright. Don't do anything stupid. I'll be right behind you, plus Greg and General Ironwood should be making their way over here." The elevator finally reached the top and Alex hid to the side before the doors could open. Ruby then stepped out, Crescent Rose in hand, ready to confront their enemy.

"Hello?" She called out.

 **Cinder**

Hacking into the Atlesian battle network was a cake walk and she was about to upload the virus into the system…until the elevator doors opened. She quickly ducked down behind the consoles, unsure of who it was, although if she had to guess…

"Hello?" Ruby called out.

…It certainly wouldn't be the child with silver eyes. She was almost certain that it would've been Alex who would follow her. Cinder was well aware that Alex was keeping an eye on her tonight, so she planned on him following her to the tower where hopefully, she could get rid of him. In her head, if Alex were disposed of, then his friends would surely be demoralized and ineffective without their leader. Uploading the virus and getting rid of a major thorn in her side should've been killing two birds with one stone…but then Ruby had to show up.

 _"Hmm, guess I have to take care of her."_ Cinder stepped out into the open, ignoring Ruby's babbling about masquerade parties or whatever, and sent a barrage of explosive glass shards towards her. Ruby was surprised, but easily dodged and deflected the shards coming towards her. The one's that missed her managed to hit the elevators control panel, causing it to spark with electricity, rendering the elevator useless. Ruby quickly recovered and fired Crescent Rose towards Cinder, but she easily deflected the shots with her hand. _"Hmph. Pathetic."_ She smugly thought.

However, Cinder failed to notice Alex take cover behind another console out of sight. She backflipped into the air while conjuring a glass bow and fired three explosive tipped arrows towards Ruby, who got out of the way just in time and fired more shots back at her. It was then that Cinder saw Alex popped out from cover and aiming his pistol at her. She once again blocked Ruby's shot with her right hand and held up her left in anticipation for the shot fired by Alex.

But instead of blocking it, she was suddenly jerked back followed by her Aura flashing and a terrible pain in her hand. Surprise doesn't adequately describe what Cinder is feeling. She stood there, wide eyed with shock, looking over towards Alex who was still aiming towards her. The sheer power and force of whatever he shot her with left her stunned. And then she looked down at her left hand…and saw the hole in her palm. Bits of flesh, bone and lots of blood oozed out of her new wound and onto the floor.

 _"…Wh-wh-what?"_ Her breathing and heart beat began to quicken. Sweat started to form. Cinder was so overwhelmed with what happened, she didn't hear Alex shouting at her to get on the ground. She snapped her head back up to face Alex and saw the look of a focused killer staring at her.

"I said get on the fucking ground!" He shouted, ready to shoot her again if necessary. Cinder ignored him and tried to conjure another weapon, only to find that her Aura was completely drained. The bow she was wielding moments ago disappeared without her Aura to maintain its shape. There were no additional flashes of Aura or anything at all. For the first time in her life, Cinder was completely vulnerable. Alex however, saw her quick movement as a threat, and fired again, hitting her left shoulder and causing her to fall to the ground.

Cinder laid there on her back, clutching her bleeding left shoulder, while Alex stepped out with his pistol still pointed at her. Ruby was just as shocked as Cinder was with how Alex was easily able to break her Aura with only a couple of shots.

"What did you do to her?" Ruby asked, not taking her eyes off the bleeding Cinder.

"I'll explain later." Alex simply said. He stepped in a little closer to Cinder, but it was just close enough for her to knock him down with a leg sweep and spring to her feet despite her wounds. She shoved the surprised Ruby to the side and quickly tried to make for the staircase knowing the elevator is out of commission, in a desperate, last ditch effort to escape. Though the adrenaline kept her moving, she had absolutely no plan on what to do next. Her mission was failed, and even if by some miracle she got away, there'd be a worldwide manhunt for her. Right as she neared the door, another shot rang out, and Cinder felt it hit her right leg and fell to the ground once again. This time, she cried out in pain.

"Nice try bitch." Alex mocked the severely wounded Cinder, who gritted her teeth and tried to hold back tears. He walked up to her with the intention of pistol whipping her to knock her out, but the door leading to the staircase suddenly swung open and decked her in the face, effectively knocking her unconscious. Greg came in, followed by Ironwood and six Atlesian soldiers, all brandishing weapons and scanning the tower control room. "About time you got here." Alex joked to Greg, who looked slightly winded.

"The elevator wasn't working, and we had to run up like 50 flights of stairs. Sue me." Greg retorted back. He then noticed the bleeding, unconscious form of Cinder on the ground. "Did I do that?" He asked.

"You knocked her out with the door, but I'm the one who shot her three times." Alex then turned to Ironwood. "We'll need a medic up here ASAP before she goes into shock." Luckily, the soldiers carry an emergency first aid kit with them and they quickly used tourniquets and gauze to stop the bleeding.

"Good job at taking her down." Ironwood congratulated Alex.

"You might want to have Ozpin and your men do a thorough scan of these computers just in case. Also, Ruby here helped out as well." He said pointing to her, who shuffled awkwardly.

"And a good job to you as well Miss Rose." Ironwood said in a friendly tone. However, Ruby was still in shock at how Alex was able to break Cinder's Aura and the bloody aftermath that followed. She then felt Alex place his hand on her shoulder and give her a warm smile before turning towards Greg.

"Greg, help Ironwoods men secure this tower. I'm going to contact Nick and Ivan to grab Cinder's minions." He said.

"I have more men standing by should they need assistance." Ironwood said.

"Thanks General. Come on Ruby, let's get out of here." Alex said, guiding Ruby towards the stairs. As they made their descent, he wanted to make sure that she was okay and not overwhelmed with what she saw. "Are you okay Ruby?" He asked in a more caring tone. She paused for a moment before answering.

"I'll be fine. It's just…you see people dying and bleeding out in movies, but you tell yourself it's just a movie." She started.

"But seeing it in real life is a whole different thing." Alex finished for her to which she nodded. "I'll tell you this, you never really get use to the sight of stuff like that. You just tend to ignore it and move on. I know that's not really great advice, but what else can you do?" Alex explained to her.

"Deep down, I was aware that Huntsmen did eventually see unsettling sights during their lives, I just didn't expect it to happen to me so soon." She deadpanned.

"It sucks that you had to see stuff like that at a young age because you're not going to forget your first run in with death. All I can really say is that you keep moving forward in life and don't be afraid to talk to your friends or anyone if it's bugging you." Alex knew guys who couldn't cope well with stuff like this. He doesn't want someone like Ruby going through that.

"I can talk to you too, right?" She asked, and he grinned.

"Of course. You can talk to me or Greg, Nick, Ivan, Ozpin, Goodwitch, Port, Oobleck or whoever. We're here to help. One team, one fight."

"Thank you, Alex." She said with the warmest regards. "By the way, what did you use on her to break her Aura?" Alex paused for a moment thinking of an answer. He could tell her to keep her mouth shut, but then again, he understands that something like that was not something that could be subdued.

"Let's just say it's me and the guy's way to compensate for not having Aura." He answered.

"I supposed you want this to be kept a secret?" She asked.

"As long as you're better at keeping secrets than Blake." He lightly joked to her.

 **Nick and Ivan**

"Copy that, we'll get them." Nick radioed back to Alex. He and Ivan were over by the punchbowl where they saw Emerald and Mercury in center of the dance floor, slow dancing with each other.

"How are we going to get to them?" Ivan asked.

"Way ahead of you." Nick replied. He signaled to the DJ, who gave him a thumbs up and suddenly the music switched over to a loud and obnoxious fast song. The students excitedly cheered once the beat started and began to dance along with it. Emerald and Mercury, caught in the middle of the floor, could only go along with it. "Follow my lead." Nick said.

He and Ivan blended in by dancing their way across the floor, doing the jumps and fist pumps to the beat, much to the amusement of the students they passed. Finally they reached the couple, with Nick putting an arm around Emerald and Ivan doing the same with Mercury.

"What's up guys? Having fun?" Nick casually asked.

"Uh, yeah." Emerald answered. She was really uncomfortable with Nicks' arm around her and tried to smoothly break free, but he tightened the grip around her.

"Man this dance is getting lame. Why don't you two come with us? We have alcohol." Nick said in a deceptively friendly tone.

"No thanks, we're good." Mercury answered, getting agitated by the close contact.

"Don't you want to join your friend Cinder?" Nick asked in a more serious tone, to which Emerald and Mercury expressed surprised at hearing her name.

"What do mean?" Emerald asked with a hint of anger.

"Let's just say she's down for the count and could use her two best friends for comfort." Nick said in a sarcastically ominous tone. It was then that Emerald and Mercury noticed the extra Atlesian soldiers entering the area and blocking off the exits.

"What did you do to her?!" Emerald asked, trying to break free but was held back because of Nick's firm hold on her.

"I didn't do anything, but unless you want to bleed out like she is, you'd better come quietly." Nick said, causing the two to gasp in shock. Suddenly they felt Nick and Ivan's pistols pressed up against their lower backs. Mercury tired to make an effort to break Ivan's grip, but the large Russian saw it coming and tightened his grip around Mercury's neck, practically choking him.

"Unless you want your arms to match your legs, I would suggest you don't try anything." Ivan said while pressing his pistol harder into his spine.

"Same thing to you, little Miss illusions." Nick commented to Emerald. Knowing that Cinder's been compromised, and they're surrounded, they reluctantly agreed to go with the two Russians. The group quickly made their way off the dance floor and out of the ballroom, where more Atlesian soldiers were waiting outside to help escort them to a holding cell.

Meanwhile, everyone else was enjoying the dance, unaware of what just transpired this evening.

 **A/N:**

 **Okay, total plot deviation I know, but this is an AU story after all. If you wanted everything to the stay the same, you might as well just watch the show. Just saying.**

 **Cinder and her crew may be down, but that doesn't mean Remnant is safe.**

 **Thanks again and have a Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **Hawk out.**

 **P.S. You don't have to watch Volume 6 through RT. Just some food for thought.**


	18. Chapter 18

**How about another quick chapter before I drive up to Grandmas house for Thanksgiving?**

Chapter 18: New threat on the horizon

 **Unknown**

"What's the status of Cinder?" A man asked.

"She's been compromised and is under Atlesian military custody." A second replied in an annoyed tone.

"Useless bitch." The first commented with a hint of anger.

"Now gentlemen, there's no need to be concerned." A third, calmer and more authoritative person said. The other two turned the man sitting behind his desk with his hands clasped together.

"She was unable to upload the virus and Ironwood has already updated the Atlesian battle network with significantly improved defense protocols." The first one argued.

"Although it would've been nice if it was uploaded then and there, it's only a minor setback. We can easily create a new one and upload it at a later time." The third man calmly explained.

"What if Cinder or her cohorts say something during an interrogation?" The second asked.

"She knows better than to say anything to the Atlesians. As for the other two, they're useless and won't be a problem." The first replied to him.

"Still, we should make sure they never get the chance." The second one argued.

"We'll deal with her at a later time. For now, we need to press forward and commence the next phase." The third one started. "Since Cinder is out of commission and we have no other assets in Vale at the moment, we'll need to get ahold of that Torchwick person she was working with and make sure he continues on with the plan."

"It'll be done sir." The first one replied.

"Provided everything goes accordingly, either Vale, Atlas or both kingdoms will request that more Atlesian forces be stationed in Vale for the festival." The third one continued.

"Considering that the people of Vale are upset about the Atlesian forces already there, adding additional troops will benefit us in the long run." The second added.

"Speaking of which, I understand that it was a training evolution between Ironwoods forces and an unknown group of men that caused this friction between the two kingdoms by exposing the empty words of Atlas to Vale and the rest of the kingdoms. Did you happen to find anything about these unknown men?" The third asked the first man.

"I'm afraid we haven't." The third raised an eyebrow. "We've scoured deep within all of Vale's databanks and only found heavily redacted files on them. We're already expanding the search parameters to the rest of Remnant, but it's not looking good." He explained.

"Redacted to the point that we can't get anything on them?" The second asked the first.

"The headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin, has a unique protective encryption on their files that seems to block any remote hacking we can do from here. If we want to get in, then we'll either need him to unlock it or we'll need someone to get direct access to his personal computer and disable it from there." The first one reiterated what the intelligence guys told him.

"After Cinder's stunt, Beacon is going to be locked down tighter than Schnee Manor." The second commented.

"Then perhaps we get someone on the inside to do it for us." The third one said.

"Who do you suggest?" The first asked.

"Not 'who, but 'what'." The other two gave the third a curious look. "If I remember correctly, Ironwood took an Atlesian scientists pet project with him to Vale. A Dr. Polendina if I'm not mistaken." The two looked at the third while he pulled up a picture of a young girl followed by schematics for what looked like a robot. The two then realized that the girl was the robot. "While the new virus is being created, have them find a way to "convince" her to hit both Ozpin's computer and the Atlesian network." The third said with a hint of smug satisfaction.

"Creating the viruses isn't the hard part, it's getting them uploaded. The one to get into the battle network and subsequently the CCTV requires you to upload it manually from a terminal. The one for Polendina's project can be done remotely, but we can't do it this far out in our location. Someone within Vale's city limits has to remotely upload it." The second one explained.

"If necessary, we'll send some of our own men to Vale to complete the task. But we'll cross that bridge when the viruses are ready. Until then, get ahold of Torchwick and make sure he continues the operation. Wire him more money if he's reluctant." The third ordered to the first.

"And if he still refuses?"

"If he values his miserable life, he shouldn't refuse." The third replied. As the first one left to contact Roman, the third then turned to the second. "In the meantime, keep searching every nook and cranny for anything on those unknown forces. It's not a major priority, but it certainly deserves our attention."

"Yes sir." The second one said before leaving the third one alone in his office.

 _"Hmm. Interesting names. They don't appear to follow the color rule."_ He thought to himself will looking over what little information he has on the Russians.

 **Torchwick's Hideout**

"Where is that damn woman?" Roman asked his partner Neo, who only shrugged in response. Ever since he was "recruited" by Cinder, the feeling of being stabbed in the back and left for dead has constantly hung over his shoulder. The money was nice for the work they've been doing, considering it's been non-stop. Gathering up every bit of Dust in Vale, using the black market and the seedy underbelly of the city to smuggle weapons to terrorists and stealing Atlesian military equipment. He's no stranger when it comes to questionable tasks for money, but the logical side of him fails to see the purpose behind all this activity. It doesn't help that Cinder hasn't told him jack shit about anything. His scroll suddenly rang, but it was a video call from a number he didn't recognize. Assuming it was Cinder, he pushed the button to answer. "Is that you Cindy?" He answered with mock politeness.

 _"I'm afraid not."_ A male voice replied, causing both Roman and Neo to look at the screen in surprise. What they saw was only the upper half of a man, however his face was hidden in the shadows due to the lighting, most likely done on purpose. The only thing notable was that the man was wearing a gray, military looking uniform. Of where or who it belongs to, they had no idea.

"Sorry officer, but this number is no longer in service." Roman taunted before ending the call, thinking he was a cop. The screen was black for only a few seconds before the video call returned, leaving the two surprised on how that happened.

 _"I'm not a policeman and if you hang up on me again, you'll end up in Cinder's current position."_ The man said in a threatening tone.

"How did you…never mind. What happend to Cinder?" Roman asked with Neo watching.

 _"She has been captured by the Atlesians and now the responsibility of continuing the operation lies on you, Torchwick, Roman. Age 32, born in Vale, Six foot three, 185 pounds, green eyes and orange hair. Dropped out of school at age 17 when mother became terminally ill and resorted to petty theft to finance her treatment. Arrested after failed robbery of convenience store and sentenced to 8 months in jail. Discovered mothers passing during fourth month of incarceration. Multiple arrests by the Vale Police Department and wanted for several counts of robbery, racketeering, hijacking, counterfeiting, arms trafficking, kidnaping, ransom, arson, assault and homicide…just to list a few examples."_ The man said with a hint of amusement while Roman and Neo were stunned that this guy knew so much.

"Um okay, are you going to explain how you have all that information or are you going to continue to be the mysterious figure who knows it all?" Roman asked, sarcasm dripping from his lips, but with hints of anger about the mentioning of his mother.

 _"Simply put, we can hack scrolls, and have eyes and ears everywhere."_ He explained.

"Fair enough. Now what's this about Cinder being captured?" Roman asked.

 _"Nothing that concerns you, but like I said, with her no longer in the picture, you're going to have to continue her progress."_ Roman motioned for him to continue. _"The Dust you've been collecting, are they at their destinations?"_

"Yup, half of it went to the White Fang base in Mountain Glen, and the other is stored in those warehouses for ANTIFA to access later. Which reminds me, why am I supplying two terrorist groups that hate each other's guts?" Roman casually asked.

 _"Now Roman, you of all people should know that asking questions will get you nowhere."_ The man sarcastically mocked.

"You know me so well." He replied with his own sarcasm,

 _"Of course we do. Now back to the subject, I need you to oversee the White Fang at Mountain Glen to make sure those fanatics don't screw this up."_

"Not like those ANTIFA guys are any smarter." Roman commented.

 _"True, but after careful consideration, the White Fang operation requires more careful timing and precision, thus having the higher probability of failure."_ Out of the two, ANTIFA is slightly more competent than the White Fang. But like Roman said, it's negligible at best.

"I don't know, working with a bunch of angry Faunus in a dead city inhabited by Grimm seems awfully dangerous…" He decided to test his luck, sensing that without Cinder, he's this guys' only option.

 _"Check your account."_ Neo pulled up their account on her scroll and they both were shocked at the extra 10 million lien that was added.

"Well when you put it that way…" Roman started, but the man interrupted him.

 _"Head over to Mountain Glen as soon as possible."_ He said Flatley.

"You got it." Roman replied with a smile.

 _"Remember Torchwick: If you screw this up or try and fuck us over, we will find you and we will make sure you disappear from the face of Remnant…forever."_ The man said in an ominous tone before ending the call. Roman's smile turned into a frown and he let out a deep breath.

"Maybe we shouldn't have joined Cinder so eagerly." He said to Neo, who nodded in agreement. "The money's nice don't get me wrong, but I have a bad feeling about that guy. And if _I'm_ having bad feelings about someone, then you know something's wrong." Once again Neo nodded with a concern look on her face. "Well we bit off more than we can chew, and now we're stuck doing the biddings of I assume, Cinder's boss. Maybe when this is all said and done, we cash out and go retire to Mistral or Vacuo?" He asked Neo who smiled and nodded in agreement. "Come on, let's get going."

 **Ozpin's office, a few days later**

With Cinder and her crew locked away in an Atlesian holding facility, Ironwood and Ozpin were momentarily afforded an opportunity to breathe easy. Though interrogations haven't been going well, it's nice to know that the virus they found on Cinder's scroll wasn't uploaded into the tower. Greg also ended being correct about their scrolls being jammed that night, when they found jamming devices on Emerald and Mercury. There's devices out there that can block scroll calls, but the one's those two had were heavy duty, state of the art devices that no normal person should have access to. Since then, the network defenses have been upgraded and hopefully they can get Cinder talking. Until then, they'll have to keep their eyes and ears open for more of Cinder's allies.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to send Ruby and her team to investigate a possible White Fang base in Mountain Glen? I mean, what if they find something?" Alex asked.

"Bartholomew knows that they're on a scouting mission and will take the necessary steps to ensure team RWBY's safety." Ozpin replied, admiring Alex's protective nature.

"All I'm saying is that me and the guys could've done the scouting." Alex pointed out. Ironwood then stepped in.

"True, but there's a good chance that they may not find anything at all, unlike the confirmed threat Schnee found out while on patrol." Ironwood said, looking over at Winter.

"There's been strange reports of excess trucks and personal in and around these warehouses over by the Northeast perimeter wall of the city near Forever Fall." Winter started off while pointing to a map of the city. "Additionally, police reports say that dozens of people have gone missing recently, and they've been identified as people who live close by to the area." Alex didn't like the sound of that. "While on patrol, I have confirmed that there are indeed armed personal working around that area close to the wall. Due to the area being mostly isolated, they're able to move about without interference from the general populace and local authorities. It's possible that there maybe a link between them and the missing people, but we can't confirm it. And finally last night, there was visual confirmation that the armed personal were members of ANTIFA." Winter finished, leaving Alex pondering about the mention of the terror organization.

Anti-Faunus Action originally started off in Vale and was a direct response to when the White Fang became more violent and started attacking businesses and neighborhoods. Believing that the police weren't enough to protect them, a bunch of people came together to form a militia that would be used to counter White Fang attacks. The group was originally called Anti-Fang Action, due to the now radicalized Faunus group. Unlike the White Fang, ANTIFA didn't have a central leadership structure and was limited only to Vale. As the White Fangs attacks continued worldwide, other ANTIFA chapters began forming in the other kingdoms with the same goal to protect innocent Humans from the attacks. Eventually, the leaders and founding members of these different chapters decided to meet up and talk about solidifying their movement under one banner with the intention that they can confront the White Fang head on, and possibly end the violence. However, disaster struck when a bomb went off at the hotel the leaders were staying at, killing all of them. The White Fang sent out a response saying that they would never work with Humans and hoped that the attack would break up the group.

But it didn't. The attack led to ANTIFA uniting underneath the leadership of some of the groups more radical members who pointed out that trying to work with the Faunus will go nowhere and will lead to more deaths like their original leaders. Soon enough, they became more militarized and changed the name from Anti-Fang Action, to Anti-Faunus Action. The new leadership declared that Humans and Faunus cannot coexist on Remnant and in the end, only one species shall remain on Remnant. White Fang and ANTIFA skirmishes became a new norm that left members of each group dead and of course, the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. And just like that, ANTIFA started acting like the people they were originally protecting other people from.

"A terrorist group hanging around an isolated area, moving trucks in and out, with people missing, all near the perimeter wall that keeps the Grimm out of the city? Surprised you guys didn't go in guns blazing." Alex commented to Ironwood and Winter.

"As much as I would, I can't just have my troops moving around the city kicking down doors and blowing up buildings. There's already enough tension between us and the locals." Ironwood said in an annoyed tone.

"Plus, I'm sure those guys probably have a vast network throughout the city, keeping watch if your forces are going to move in or not." Alex said.

"They get one whiff of our troops moving towards them, and they're going to bug out before we can get there." Ironwood admitted, knowing the days of conventional fighting are long gone.

"I guess that's where me and the guys come into play?" Alex asked with a smirk. He was wondering if they were going to ever going to do military operation since their…demise.

"We need someone to go in and find out what those guys are up to, and if possible, put a stop to it." Ironwood said. It didn't take long for Alex to come up with his reply.

"Okay. When do you need us ready?" Alex asked. Despite no legal obligations, it's his moral obligations of being a soldier and protector that overrules any objections. Greg and the others have similar values.

"As soon as possible. Get yourself and your men geared up and meet over by the docks where you'll get a quick overview of the area." Ironwood replied. It was then that Winter stepped in.

"Sir, with your permission, I think it would be best if I were to accompany Sgt. Volkov during this operation." Winter said, gaining looks from both Alex and Ironwood. "I have an extensive knowledge of the area and can provide valuable combat support."

"True, having an Aura user would help us out." Alex started off. "But I think you also want to go looking for those missing paladins, right?" He asked, smirking at Winter. When Alex heard about how the military "misplaced" a bunch of new experimental weapons, Alex couldn't help but chuckle. Only the military can somehow lose track of giant fighting robots. It made him feel a little homesick.

"While yes, I do want to locate them just as much General Ironwood does, it doesn't change the fact that you four don't have Aura and that there's a good chance that you may be confronted by former Huntsmen." Winter pointed out. After sitting in during his lectures, she'll admit that the combined knowledge of the four was something unexpected, but not unwelcomed. New tactics and strategies were always nice to have on hand. Additionally, she found herself participating during the physical conditioning and unarmed techniques. As it turns out, she and Alex are about evenly matched when it comes to fighting unarmed, where the fights can go either way. By now, she has a strong respect for the Russians and their unique abilities they bring to the table.

And of course, her respect and admiration for Alex also increased. A strong capable fighter with a natural knack for leadership, in addition to being clever and resourceful, is someone Winter can tolerate. His professionalism and maturity were other traits that Winter liked about him. It perfectly balanced with the friendlier, caring and wittier parts of his overall down to Remnant personality. In short, she can describe him as the perfect soldier who can balance between work and play and is much more sociable and personal than she is. But the one thing she'll never say out loud and hates herself for thinking about it, is that she'll admit Alex is not…bad looking. He's tall, though she has a few inches on him but it's not really noticeable. A strong and lean athletic build from what she can tell, and a face that she reluctantly admits, is quite handsome. She would hate for a fine young man and worthy adversary to meet an untimely death at the hands of a rouge Huntsman.

"How thoughtful of you Specialist." Alex cheekily replied, earning a slight glare from Winter.

"She may have a point, but since you'll be in charge of this operation, the choice is up to you." Ironwood addressed to Alex. He thought it over for a few moments, weighing his options.

"Even though me and the guys have a way to compensate for a lack of Aura, it doesn't change the fact we can't leap across large gaps or do crazy acrobatics and what not. And I have seen the usefulness and versatility of Specialist Schnee's Semblance in action, to which she is very skilled and graceful with." Alex addressed that last part to Winter, who accepted the compliment while keeping her aloofness on the outside. "With that said, Greg is obviously going to provide overwatch and sniper support from an elevated position, so he won't be running around and clearing rooms. Likewise, from what I can tell from that warehouse area, it's going to be very cramped and confined, and Ivan's machinegun may not be the best weapon to use in close quarters, so he'll be stationed with Greg, ready to bail us out if necessary. That just leaves me and Nick doing the legwork in a very large and unknown area. An extra set of hands would be helpful" Alex explained.

"I take it that's a 'yes'?" Ironwood asked, and Alex nodded. He then turned to Winter.

"First things first, you need to get into a more comfortable and conspicuous uniform for this operation. Bright white will not do." Alex addressed to Winter, who kept a straight face.

"We don't have any uniforms with your unique camouflage design, but we have an all-black variant of the field uniform." Winter replied, understanding his logic.

"Better than bright white. Speaking of which, I'm sure you've noticed that we wear balaclavas?" She nodded. "You may want to follow suit and conceal yourself." Alex said.

"Is that really necessary?" Ironwood asked.

"Well one, she has bright white hair that sticks out. Two, she's a well-known and recognized person thanks to her family and her military status. And three, there's a good chance that if they notice her, they'll assume the Atlesians are on the move, and suddenly your troops are going to become targets to random attacks, or they may increase attacks on civilians and blame it on the increased presence of troops in the city." Winter took another moment to think about what Alex said.

"I don't suppose you have another of those balaclavas on hand?" She asked, agreeing with what Alex explained.

"I can loan you my spare one." He simply said.

"Anything else?" Winter asked.

"Yeah, your sword. Bring it with you but consider bringing a ranged weapon that can have a suppressor attached to it. Shooting ice and fire from your sword isn't very stealthy, unless you want to get close up and stab everyone." Alex commented. Winter's abilities are powerful and cool to look at, but they're a little to flashy and attention grabbing for Alex's liking.

"The fact that you assume this is going to end up in a firefight is slightly unsettling." Winter replied.

"Will it not?" Winter looked over to Ironwood, who gave her a serious look.

"I'll see if I can find a suitable sidearm." She said, not wanting to address his question.

"I can provide whatever support and equipment you all may need." Ironwood added.

"Thanks General. Alright, let's get geared up and meet at the docks in 15 minutes." Alex said to Winter, who nodded in agreement.

 **A/N:**

 **Next couple of chapters will be getting back into the action. This was just the set up.**

 **Remember to show how thankful you are for what you already have by trampling and fighting random strangers for Black Friday sales.**

 **Hawk out.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Yeah the chapters are getting shorter, but it's helping me keep things organized and doesn't hurt my eyes when I'm looking it over.**

Chapter 19: Russian Winter, Part I

 **Northern commercial district warehouses, 1820**

"We don't want to get too close and alert them to our presence." Winter said to Alex who nodded in agreement.

"You heard the lady Gary, take us down." He called out to the pilot.

"Roger that!" Gary replied with his thick Australian accent. Or whatever it was referred to as on Remnant. The bullhead they were in began its descent until it was low enough for the Russians and Winter to jump out. "After I refuel, I'll be on standby and ready to pick you guys up in a flash!" Gary shouted. Alex acknowledged him with a thumbs up before flying away from the area.

"All right Winter, you know this area better than us, so go ahead and take point." Alex said to her. She was wearing the rarely used, all black variant of the Atlesian field uniform that consisted of black boots, cargo pants and a tactical long sleeve blouse. In addition to her sword, Winter was also armed with a standard issued Atlesian submachine gun with a suppressor attached that she kept on a sling. Extra magazines and Dust were kept in pouches that she wore around her waist. The final component of her unique ensemble was Alex's spare balaclava concealing her face, leaving only her eyes visible. She had to undo her iconic bun in order to place it over her head and the guys joined the few people lucky enough to see the rare sight of Winter with her hair down. All of them mentally agreed that she should wear it down more often.

The guys were geared up with the weapons and uniforms that most of Beacon and the Atlesian forces were used to seeing. In addition to the special ammo and explosives they used to counter Aura, they had a couple other pieces of equipment that should help them out. Alex and Nick had night vison goggles that were mounted to the front of their helmets for darkened areas, and Ivan was carrying a suit case that contained a new experimental drone the Atlesians developed.

While Alex, Winter and Nick get up close and personal with the enemy, Greg and Ivan are going to set up a "crows' nest" in one of the buildings that'll allow Greg to have an excellent view of the area as well as the ability for him and Ivan to provide fire support. While Greg uses his rifle to observe the area, Ivan will be controlling the new drone that'll allow him to get an even wider view of the area and spot incoming threats. Ironwood told them that using the drone and controlling it was so simple, a child could do it.

The group of five maintained a steady pace as they made their way towards the mission area. All the buildings in this part of the city were old, decrepit, covered in graffiti and have certainly seen better days. If they remembered right, this area is one of the older parts of the city that has since then, became nothing more than a warehouse dump where companies and manufactures store their excess inventories. Very rarely, do people ever come to this area other than companies dropping off or picking up inventories. Police seldom patrol this area, and the nearest signs of life is a low-income neighborhood about five miles south of the area. And then there's the lingering odor that's hard to distinguish but can be best described as a combination of thrift store and industry. Overall, it's the perfect place for criminals, ne'er-do-wells, drug addicts, or in this case, terrorists.

It was another few minutes of them navigating their way through the tight corridors of the warehouses before they spotted a group of enemies hanging out by a dumpster. Another thing that distinguished ANTIFA from the White Fang was that they didn't wear uniforms and mostly wore normal civilian clothing. There were four of them, three men and one woman standing around and talking to each other. Their clothing varied between person, but common elements were practical items in dark colors with optional headgear or methods to conceal their faces. Additionally, all members wear ANTIFA's symbol, a blue skull with a dagger jammed into its eye socket, on their person. Whether it's an armband, sewn on patch, or a tattoo, they display the symbol one way or another. The weapons they used also differed based on the user. The woman was armed with a High-Tec looking crossbow and had an assortment of knives strapped to her person, while one of her male counterparts had two Ninjago swords strapped to his back. The other two each wielded firearms, with one having an automatic shotgun and the other armed with a submachine gun and what appears to be some type of riot shield on his back.

"Do we take them out?" Greg whispered while preparing to line up a shot.

"We're still a good distance away from the main operating area and these guys are probably watching the outer perimeter." Winter explained.

"Good enough. Greg take the shot. Nick and I will mop up the rest." Alex said, readying his rifle with Nick following suit. Greg lined up his crosshairs with the nearest enemies' head and in a split second, he and the guy standing perfectly lined up with him, dropped like flies when the bullet passed through their heads. The last man jumped back in surprise while the woman let out a shriek at the sight of their fallen comrades. They soon found themselves joining their buddie's, courtesy of Nick and Alex.

"One shot, two kills. Nice one Greg." Ivan commented. While the guys moved up to hide the bodies in a nearby dumpster, Winter was trying to comprehend what she just witnessed. One second there were four terrorists standing and then suddenly they were easily killed with less than six bullets. She got a closer look at the two that Greg killed and slightly recoiled at the sight of the blood and bits of brain matter splattered across their heads. It's not that she's squeamish, but the way the Russians swiftly ended these lives without even thinking about it made her feel…uneasy. There's was one other thing that she noticed and couldn't help herself from asking.

"How did you break through their Auras so easily?" She asked Alex as he unceremoniously tossed the woman's body into the dumpster and closed the lid.

"Remember when I said that we had a way to compensate for our lack of Auras?" He asked to which she nodded. "Well, we use special ammo and explosives that have the ability to break through Aura like it wasn't there." Despite her face being concealed by the balaclava, Alex could easily see the look of surprise on her face.

"You mean your weapons and ammo make Aura useless?!" She blurted out. The mere thought of having her, or anyone's main source of power and fighting abilities be negated by a simple bullet sent a chill up the ice queens' spine.

"Look, we can discuss this at a later time and I promise to fill you in on the details, but we have a mission to accomplish and I need your head in the game." Alex said in a tone that expressed his authority as a squad leader. Winter, who is more used to giving out orders than receiving them, found herself obeying his orders.

"Right." Winter said, regaining her composure and focus. "We need to get to the other side of these buildings, and then there'll be a service road that leads to the main area of activity."

The group of five quietly, but swiftly made their way through the alleyways and old warehouses. Enemy presence was minimal but steadily increased the closer they were getting to the objective area. Still, that didn't stop the guys from silently taking out any patrols, whether they were on the ground or keeping watch from catwalks and fire escapes off the buildings. Eventually, they came across the service road and saw the main warehouse that was bustling with activity. Dozens of hostiles either standing watch or loading crates of SDC Dust onto flatbed trucks. The guys thought the trucks would be heading into the city but noticed that they were heading straight for the wall.

"This is where we have to split up." Alex stated. He then turned to face everyone. "Greg, you and Ivan find a good place to set up shop and keep tabs on the warehouse. I think that office building over there might work." Alex said, pointing out the rundown building.

"Copy, we'll let you know when we're set up." Greg replied.

"Ivan, get that drone up and running as soon as you can. This place is huge, and we want to make sure we have a good view of the surrounding areas." Alex said to Ivan.

"I'll keep you guys posted on any activity." He replied.

"Nick, Winter; we're going to where those trucks are heading to with all that Dust." Alex said.

"It looks like they're heading straight for the wall." Nick commented on the direction the trucks were going. The wall wasn't that far away, but the amount of Dust they were moving, definitely required transport via truck.

"With how big that warehouse is and the amount of Dust that's heading for the wall, you know it's not a good sign." Ivan pointed out.

"Winter, is there any possible significant target that's over there by the wall?" Greg asked. She had to take a moment to think of what's over there. Then she remembered her initial debrief from the Vale Police Department upon her arrival in Vale.

"There's only one possible target I can think of: Inside the superstructure of the wall, there's a room that monitors and controls the cities automatic perimeter defenses." The guys looked at her to continue. "It's one of several that are built in various areas of the wall where if one should go down, the other's will still be operational and the whole city won't be left defenseless. Do you think that's their target?" She asked Greg.

"It's possible, but I don't see why they need the Dust, unless they plan to blow up the control room or something." Greg started explaining. "It still doesn't necessarily answer why they're only at this area or more importantly, what's the point of all of this." Greg said, concluding his thoughts to Winter.

"Well whatever is going on, we're not going to find out anything standing around." Nick interjected, bringing everyone back on track.

"He's right. Greg, Ivan; get in position. Winter, Nick; on me." Alex ordered, causing the two teams to head to their current objectives.

 **Greg and Ivan**

Fortunately, the office building was empty, allowing Greg and Ivan to set up a small "crows' nest" and keep watch over the area. They were on the rooftop of the eight-story building, using the ledges and old billboards for cover. Greg set up the bipod for his rifle and got into a comfortable position that allowed him to have a good view of the immediate area below.

Ivan meanwhile, set down his machine gun and extra RPG's down before preparing the drone for use. It was a simple design as it resembled a small glider but had an impressive camera that could capture a full 360-degree scan of the area. The camera had multiple zoom levels and could switch between TV and IR mode. He finished calibrating the drone and made sure he got good video on his screen before throwing it into the air like a paper airplane. Using the control pad, he flew the drone high enough to not be noticed and was still able to clearly see the all the activity in the area.

"Man this is so cool." Ivan commented to Greg who lightly chuckled.

"Alex, we're in position and we have our eyes in the sky." He radioed.

 _"Copy. Do you see anything out of the ordinary?"_ Alex radioed back.

"Negative, but we'll keep you posted." Ivan replied.

 _"Roger that."_

 **Alex, Nick and Winter**

The trio followed the route of the trucks and discovered they stopped at a loading dock right at the base of the wall. The dock was normally used as a drop off point for supplies and materials for routine maintenance and repairs after Grimm attacks. However, they saw more enemies off loading the crates of Dust and bringing them further into the wall's superstructure.

"We need to get inside of there." Winter said.

"Well the front door is a no go." Nick commented as a truck passed by.

"We're not going to shoot our way in, but I think I see a possible entry point." Nick and Winter looked over to where Alex was pointing and noticed a maintenance door that leads into a service tunnel attached to the wall.

"Are you sure that's the best way to get in?" Winter asked.

"Not like we have any other options." Nick replied. Getting over to the door was easy since it was off to the side and out of the way of the ANTIFA troops, but now they have to figure out a way to open the locked metal door without drawing attention.

"Allow me." Winter placed her hand on the handle and a small black glyph appeared. Within seconds the door opened up and Winter motioned for Alex and Nick to enter.

"Better than kicking in the door." Nick said as he stepped in, followed by Winter.

"Nice job." Alex said to Winter while closing the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, they were instantly greeted with a pitch-black hallway.

"Damn, I can't see shit." Nick commented.

"Goggles, Nick." Alex replied. He and Nick lowered the mounted night vision goggles to eye level and hit the switch, allowing them to hear the small hum of them powering up. A couple seconds later and the hallway was now lit up with the familiar green coloration that came when using NVG's.

"I still can't see." Winter said in an annoyed tone.

"We won't be in the dark forever. Stay behind me while Nick takes point." Alex said, grabbing Winter and orienting her in the right direction. Since Alex already stressed the importance of staying hidden and inconspicuous, she knew using her Semblance as a light source wouldn't be feasible at the moment and would have to deal with the darkness.

They continued down the dark hallway at a steady pace, with only Alex slowing down to help guide Winter through any obstacles hidden in the darkness. After what felt like an eternity of wading through the dark, they finally came across a literal light at the end of the hallway. Alex and Nick were able to put away their NVG's while Winter was relieved that she could see where she was going. As luck would have it, the service route led them straight to the loading dock where they saw ANTIFA members offloading the Dust onto pallet jacks and moving them deeper into the wall's superstructure.

"Well, we're in. Now what?" Nick asked.

"We need to find out what they're doing with all that Dust." Alex replied. Fortunately, the ANTIFA members were too preoccupied with moving the Dust to notice the three were quietly hugging the wall as they made their way further into the wall interior. It probably also helps that ANTIFA assumes that they're alone out here. As they turned the corner, Winter noticed an odd odor in the air.

"What's that smell?" She whispered.

"Wasn't me." Nick whispered back, causing her to roll her eyes.

"No you dunce!" She hissed. "I think it's coming from behind that door." The door she was pointing at was most likely a storage room, but the stench seeping from it was overpowering and couldn't be ignored.

"Yeah, I smell it too." Alex commented. As Winter reached for the door to investigate, Alex couldn't help but think that the stench was familiar somehow. It was a pungent and fowl stench that reminded him of rotting meat or something that…died. Right as Alex connected the dots, he heard Winter gasp in shock. If her SMG wasn't attached to a sling, she would've dropped it on the ground. Alex and Nick were stone faced at the sight before them.

There were nine of them. Five males, four females. Ages probably ranged from late 20's to early 40's, give or take. Two of the males were in police uniforms while the rest were in reflective vests and hardhats, identifying them as construction workers or some type of laborer. While the men appear to have been dealt with quickly by clean shots to the head, the women clearly suffered abuse before their executions judging by the torn articles of clothing and lacerations across their bodies. Based on the current state of the bodies, they were most likely in there for a few days at least.

"You know, ANTIFA claims that the Faunus are animals, and yet they do shit like this." Nick said in a neutral tone.

"There's not even a single Faunus among this group." Alex pointed out. It was true that all nine of the victims were Humans. Apparently, ANTIFA is willing to kill some of their fellow Humans if they get in the way.

"How can these…savages live with themselves?" Winter asked, her voice seething with anger and a hint of sorrow. Her body was tense, and she could feel her blood pressure rising. In her younger days, Winter was well aware of the unfortunate realities of life and how it can end all of a sudden. When she joined the military, they trained her how to take down your enemies and watch out for your allies. She read history books that contained pictures of the Great War and saw the price soldiers on both sides paid after it was over. In a way, she was used to military casualties, and even civilian deaths caused by the Grimm. But the idea that people so arbitrarily kill innocents for their own selfish goals is despicable. She then felt a hand placed on her shoulder and turned to see it was Alex's. Though all she could see were his dark brown eyes, they had an even blend of caring and fierce strength in them. Looking into them made her relax a little.

"Because they don't value life and believe that they can get away with it because no one's going to do anything about it." Alex said to her. The latter part of what he just said struck a chord in her heart. With the gruesome sight in front of her, it reminded Winter that this is what's going on every day, even in her beloved home of Atlas. And no one has done a damn thing to prevent this kind of stuff from happening. She mentally kicked herself for not realizing the growing danger of leaving an insurgency unchecked for too long.

"But that's why guys like us exist: To remind sick fucks like ANTIFA or the White Fang that someone _is_ going to do something about it." Nick said, pointing his thumb at himself and then pointing to Alex and Winter. She was surprised at such a strong statement from Nick of all people, but it did get the point across. It appears that even Nick has his moments.

"Well then…" Winter brought her SMG back up and into her right hand while drawing her sword with her left, ready to use. "Let's not keep them waiting." You couldn't see it, but Winter had a confident smirk underneath her balaclava. Between herself, Alex, Nick, Greg and Ivan, she felt that she could actually make a difference.

"These bastards aren't going to know what hit them." Nick happily replied to Winter.

"All right, let's press on." Alex said with a hint of amusement before the three proceeded further into the bowels of the interior wall.

 **A/N:**

 **Not much to say other than getting all caught up with my school work has allowed more time for writing.**

 **Other than that, thank you for your support.**

 **Hawk out.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Finals, Holiday planning, writers block ,procrastination, getting angry at what's going on in the news.**

 **You know, the usual.**

Chapter 20: Russian Winter, Part II

 **Greg and Ivan**

"See anything?" Greg asked Ivan while watching another truck returning from the wall.

"Nope. Nothing new." Ivan replied, eyes still on the drones' screen.

So far, the ANTIFA forces at the warehouse haven't changed their routine of loading up the trucks with the Dust and sending them to the wall. To the untrained, sitting in one place and watching a monotonous scene before you would surely take its toll, but Greg could keep this up for hours if need be. He kept his eyes moving across the area, watching for any subtle changes in ANTIFA's behavior. From his position, Greg could easily pick off the majority of ANTIFA's troops at the warehouse, but he'll wait for Alex's go to attack.

Ivan, meanwhile, was able to see a much larger view of the immediate and surrounding areas with the drone. TV mode allowed him to see everything as is, like you were looking through a regular camera, while IR mode let him the view heat signatures of the enemies below them. Due to the large area and the fading daylight, Ivan opted for IR mode. He could see the large concentration of hostiles at the warehouse, as well as the patrols in the outer areas. Additionally, he could see the trucks and the rest of ANTIFA at the base of the wall. With all the enemies in the area, he and Greg estimated there must have been close to 50 ANTIFA members in this area, not including the ones at the wall.

"Well, what do we have here?" Greg said to himself with a hint of amusement. "Hey, Alex." He said into his radio.

 _"Talk to me."_ Alex replied.

"Let Winter know that I have visual on some of those missing paladins." Greg replied. It wasn't until most of the Dust crates in the warehouse were removed that they revealed at least four Atlesian paladins stored in the warehouse.

 _"She asked what's their status?"_ Alex said, speaking for Winter.

"They're just sitting in the warehouse unoccupied, but they appear armed and ready to go." Greg replied, observing ANTIFA's logo painted on the sides.

 _"I told her we're stretched too thin and not in any position to move on the warehouse."_ Alex said.

"But…" Greg figured Winter would probably say something.

 _"One way or another, we need to prevent ANTIFA from walking away with those paladins. God knows what kind of damage they can do with heavily armored battle mechs."_

"I'll keep my eyes peeled, but we're going to need reinforcements." Greg looked over at Ivan and saw the three RPG's the two of them brought. If need be, they could use them to attack the paladins despite not knowing how strong the paladins' armor is. Their best bet, however, is that reinforcements will arrive and take care of things.

 _"Once we get a good idea of what they're doing here in the wall, we'll send for backup."_ Alex debated on having Winter call reinforcements as soon as they got into the wall, but with the unknown variable of what ANTIFA is doing with all the Dust at the wall, they couldn't risk alerting ANTIFA to their presence and having them fall back… or execute their plan early.

"Roger that." Greg replied. He went back to watching the warehouse until he heard Ivan speak.

"One of the trucks is heading in another direction." He said out loud. It drove parallel to the wall away from both the warehouse and loading dock for a little ways until it stopped at what appeared to be a gate that allowed it access outside the wall and subsequently the city. Ivan then watched as it drove back in the direction it came from, only on the outside of the wall. _"Where's this guy going?"_ Ivan thought as he flew the drone towards the outside of the wall.

 **Alex, Nick and Winter**

"So then I told her that if she talks like that to me again, we're through!" An ANTIFA member exclaimed to his partner while they walked down the hall.

"What'd she say?" His buddy asked.

"You know my mom…she sent me to my room." The first one said in a disappointed tone.

"You ever consider moving out of your mom's house? I mean you're almost 40." The second one asked while stopping to tie his shoe as the first one kept walking. As soon as he took a knee, an arm found its way around his neck followed by a hand over his mouth to preventing him from calling out for help. The last moment of his life was the feeling of a blade being embedded into his neck and being dragged into the shadows by a pair of strong feminine hands.

"Man you sound just like her." He paused to clear his throat. "When are you moving out? Are you going to get a job anytime soon? Why couldn't you make something of yourself like your sister? Your father is rolling in his grave blah, blah, blah." He said with his best impersonation of a nagging, older woman. When he didn't get a response, he turned only to find his buddy wasn't there. "Hey where'd you go?" Those were his last words before two silenced shots rang out from the shadows and found their way into his chest. He crumpled to the ground without making a sound. It was then that Alex, Nick and Winter emerged from the shadows, stepping over the dead insurgent.

"According to those signs, the control room should be just up ahead." Alex commented while reloading. As it turns out, the wall is much more than it appears. From the outside, it looks like just a massive wall made of concrete, reinforced with steel and other hard materials. But on the inside, it's an elaborate system of hallways that interconnect with each other that moves throughout the entire perimeter of the entire city. Aside from being a physical barrier to stop the Grimm from advancing, defensive countermeasures were also built into the wall to eradicate the Grimm hordes. They ranged from machine guns that can easily cut down lesser Grimm, to anti-air rockets for avian Grimm, all the way to heavy artillery used for larger Grimm types like Goliaths. Special measures were also in place to defend Vale's coastal waters, and to counter possible subterranean Grimm attacks.

All of the defensive turrets and countermeasures were automatically controlled by four different rooms built into the wall, with one in each cardinal direction: North, South, East and West. They contained long range sensors and tracking computers that control the defenses to identify and eliminate all Grimm that came within range. Highly advance supercomputers kept everything up and running with minimal need for Human contact. Should a control station go down for any reason, an emergency signal is sent to the Vale Police while the other stations take control of the down station, preventing the defenses of that section from completely shutting down. As a final measure, policemen are assigned to "wall duty", where they monitor the room and make sure everything is running smoothly. Due to its importance, a squad composed of day and night shift officers are assigned to wall duty for three days in order to ensure constant 24/7 watch. Sleeping quarters and facilities allowed them to live comfortably before the relief squad takes over. Overall, Vale's defenses are nothing to scoff at and can be considered on par with Atlas.

However, thanks to recent White Fang and ANTIFA activity, as well as unrest with the Atlesians in the city, the Vale Police Department has been stretched to breaking point. More officers are being sent out on patrol in addition to breaking up crowds protesting the Atlesian forces. This in turn, has led to extending the time officers spend on wall duty, while simultaneously cutting back on the number of officers deployed at a time. It went from 6-8 officers per 3-day cycle, down to a bare minimum 2 per control station for a 4-day cycle. The long hours have been taking their toll on the exhausted police force.

"There's more hostiles here than there was during my patrols." Winter commented. A dozen enemies have already fallen to the three of them, but they've barely put a dent in their numbers as the whole interior structure was crawling with ANTIFA insurgents. The main corridor that the Dust was being transported down was too well guarded for them to move through, so they had to navigate the side hallways to follow. This proved to be a frustrating feat, as it felt like they were navigating through a maze by constantly running into dead ends and having to backtrack. Yet they pressed on. Luckily, they came across signs that at least gave them a general idea where they were.

"There it is." Alex said, pointing towards a large set of metal blast doors with the words, "RESTRICTED ACCESS" written across them in bright yellow. Next to the door was a computer terminal, most likely used to allow access to the room. Above the door, a red spinning emergency light was in place. Should something occur that requires attention, it lights up and is followed by an alarm to alert the nearby officers. The sound of the alarm and the red lights became more prevalent the closer they got to the control room, indicating that something is wrong. Of course, the ANTIFA troops standing outside the door seem to be ignoring the lights and sounds. Unlike the other one's they've come across, the thirteen troops standing guard appeared to be more alert and attentive. Weapons were drawn and ready for use while overturned tables were used as makeshift cover. No doubt they wanted to keep people away from the control room.

"They're dug in pretty good." Nick commented.

"We have to get in there. That alarm means that somethings wrong with the auto defenses." Winter said.

"Then shouldn't the police be here or something?" Alex asked.

"That's what concerns me. The alarm has been going off for quite some time. Without any personnel to deal with it or call it in as under control, this place should've been swarmed with police, if not Huntsmen, to investigate." She explained. Alex thought back to the dead cops they saw earlier and furrowed his brow. ANTIFA must've done something to the city defenses, but if what Winter said was true, then why hasn't anyone come to investigate the alarm? And what about all the Dust? What the hell are they up to? Alex put these questions aside for later, as they need to get into the control room without those ANTIFA goons calling for reinforcements.

"Get ready to take those guys out." Alex said, not even looking to Nick and Winter.

"We're totally exposed in this hallway. They'll cut us down as soon as we step out." Nick paused for a moment." Well, me and you at least." He commented to Alex while pointing his head towards Winter.

"I'm not a bullet sponge." Winter simply stated to Nick. Just because one has Aura, doesn't mean they're immune to getting shot...even if they can take multiple hits.

"No, I have better idea." Alex turned to Winter. "You can use your glyphs to launch things over a distance, right?" She nodded in response. "Then get ready." Alex said, pulling out a flashbang. Winter understood his intentions and prepared to summon a small glyph while Nick readied himself.

"We've already taken out a few of their patrols. Taking the control room will surely put them on alert." Nick pointed out.

"They're not leaving us any choice. The safety of the city is at stake." Winter replied. She may not be from Vale, but all the same, she's a soldier and a Huntress first, and knows her responsibility to Humanity.

"And…go!" Alex shouted.

Right as Alex said that, Nick skillfully took down an enemy by shooting her in throat. She clutched onto it as blood spurted out, but fell to the ground, gurgling her last breath of life. The other ANTIFA members were surprised and shocked at the sight of their comrades' sudden demise. Before any of them could react, another guy went down. Instead of a bullet however, it was a flashbang that contacted with his face. The increased velocity provided by Winter's glyph was enough to knock him to the ground before detonating in his face and disorienting himself and everyone around him.

One by one, the ANTIFA guards fell to the combined might of the Russian rifles and Winter's SMG as they quickly pushed towards the control room until only the guy who took the flashbang to the face was the last one alive. He managed to get up onto his feet once he recovered from the flashbang and recoiled at the sight of his fallen colleagues. It's not that he cared about or was necessarily friends with these guys, it's just that they were killed so sudden, and he didn't want to end up like them. He tried to make a run for it but was stopped when he felt the sensation of Winter's sword piercing his mid-section. The last thing he felt was Winter's sword being removed from his body before falling to the ground and into a puddle of his own blood.

"Hurry, there's no telling when another patrol will walk by." Winter said, giving her sword a quick flick in the air to fling off some of the blood.

Nick approached the computer terminal and stared at the screen for a few moments before typing something on the keyboard. Another moment passed, and the screen turned green as the doors opened up.

"I didn't know you can hack computers." Winter commented.

"I can't." She gave him a puzzling look. "There's a sticky note on the side with the password written on it." Nick replied with a hint of amusement. She and Alex looked to where it was and noticed that the note must've been there for years based on its condition. Both Winter and Alex rolled their eyes at the stupidity and recklessness of the Vale police forces.

 _"Idiots."_ They both thought at the same time.

The control room was a lot smaller than anticipated. There was a large console in the center of the room that contained several screens that displayed the current status of the defenses, and a control panel with buttons and switches that performed various functions. The console was hooked up with massive cables that ran to the supercomputer off to the side that was currently all lit up indicating it was operational. There were cables that ran from the supercomputer into the wall itself where it sends and receives information to and from the outer defenses. A second set of cables ran from the wall to the supercomputer and the control console that provided power to the entire system from the electrical services down below. Under normal circumstances, the screens would display everything as good…but not today.

 _"Warning: Section one, Northern perimeter defenses offline. Please seek immediate technical support."_

A feminine robotic voice echoed from the main console. Alex and Winter moved to the main console while Nick stood watch.

"I don't understand." Alex looked over at Winter. "Aside from someone coming over to investigate, the other control stations should've taken over control of this station to avoid a complete shutdown of the defenses." Winter explained while looking over the different screens.

"I think I found one explanation." Alex said, pointing at another screen. This screen displayed the current status of the other stations. Currently, the Western, Eastern, and Southern stations were lit up green, indicating everything was okay. But the Northern one, the one where they're currently at, indicated its status as…good?

"But how can that be?! This station is compromised!" Winter exclaimed.

"I don't know, but if the other stations think this one is okay, then that probably explains why no one has come to investigate." Alex rationalized.

"That still doesn't explain why the defenses are offline. The other stations that overtake this station do so automatically. If they weren't able to gain control of this station, then it would relay a signal back and alert the police." Winter explained.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but perhaps we can undo it from here." Alex replied. Winter attempted to work the console, but the screens suddenly locked up and displayed a message saying: 'Authorized Administrator Credentials Required for Access.' Winter slammed her fist on the console in anger.

"Dammit! They've locked out the console. I can't get in!" She spat out. The only way to unlock it was with the use of an administrator key. Not a password, but a physical key that someone has to have on their person. Alex thought that maybe one of the dead officers have one, but figured ANTIFA probably thought of that too. He then considered contacting the Vale Police for access, but it would've taken too long for someone to get here, not to mention this place was still crawling with ANTIFA. As much as he wanted to call for backup from the Vale Police or the Atlesian forces, there's still the unknown of what ANTIFA is using the Dust for. While they were making their way to the control room, he figured that Dust can be used to make explosives so bomb making was probably what they were using it for. But then again, why here of all places? Maybe they're going to hit the defenses themselves, or maybe the power supply? Why would they want to leave the city vulnerable to the Grimm? Whatever it was, they can't risk ANTIFA setting off possible Dust explosives early by calling in reinforcements. As soon as they figure out what's going on with the Dust however, more than likely, Alex is going to give Winter the green light to call in her forces. But first, they need to deal with this computer bullshit.

"Can't you just turn it off and on?" Nick asked while keeping watch over the door.

"Come on, you know it doesn't work like that." Alex paused, then looked to Winter. "Can we just turn it off and on?" He asked her in a more serious tone.

"In theory, doing a hard restart might undo whatever ANTIFA did to the computer system. Of course, we'll have to head down to the lower levels and reset the power from there." She explained after thinking about it for a moment.

"It's better than nothing." Alex said, going with Winter's logic. The three of them left the control room and proceeded down the hallway, only to be met with an ANTIFA patrol heading in their direction. The two groups who were on opposite ends of the hallway, stopped in their tracks for a brief moment as neither group expected to run into each other. Finally, one of the ANTIFA members drew his weapon, and pointed it at the group.

"Kill them!" He shouted to his comrades. Alex and Nick watched as ten ANTIFA members brandishing various melee weapons, charged towards them head on. The two Russians quickly glanced at each other before bringing up their rifles and shooting well controlled bursts at their enemies. In less than 30 seconds, all ten enemies were dead on the ground, not even making it halfway to where they were standing.

"Well that was easy." Nick commented with a hint of sarcasm.

"What is with everybody charging head on with melee weapons?" Alex asked no one in particular. "Like, is there some unspoken rule that melee combat is the only way to fight anybody? 'Hey, there's bad guys way over there. Instead of shooting from a safe distance with our guns, let's draw swords and meet them face to face because "muh" Aura will keep me safe.' Seriously, what the fuck!?" Winter found herself lightly smirking at Alex's mocking rant.

"Generally speaking, most Huntsmen do have reflexes quick enough to dodge and deflect most projectiles. However, it seems your Aura piercing bullets travel at a much higher velocity than any Dust round I've encountered. I doubt even the most skilled Huntsmen would be able to react quick enough to your weapons." Winter commented. Truth be told, she was terrified at the thought of a weapon that can break Auras. Seeing what Alex and the Russians can do with said weapons just confirmed her fears. If those weapons ended up in the wrong hands…she didn't want to finish the thought.

"And that's why…" A call on the radio interrupted Alex.

 _"You guys still there?"_ Greg radioed.

"Yeah, what's up?" Alex replied.

 _"Be advised, we have confirmed hostages outside the wall."_ Greg replied.

 **A/N:**

 **Keep in mind this is taking place while RWBY is in Mountain Glen.**

 **It's tricky for me to write stuff like this not because I don't know what I want to happen, but trying to articulate it in a way that flows smoothly and makes sense. That's why sometimes it takes me a while to update.**

 **Anyway, after the New Year, I'll be busy finishing school and preparing to move. It'll be great when I finally leave the People's Republic of Commiefornia behind. With that in mind, I'll still update but don't be surprised if they slowdown a bit.**

 **Lastly, I say it all the time, but thank you for all the support. I do read your reviews and PMs, and attempt to fix any mistakes or plot holes I overlooked, as well as considering your suggestions.**

 **Thank you.**

 **Merry Christmas.**

 **Hawk out.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here's a quick one before the New Year.**

Chapter 21: Russian Winter, Part III

 **Greg and Ivan**

 _"How many are there?"_ Alex asked.

"I've counted at least 50." Ivan replied, eyes glued on the drone screen. Turns out, the truck that went outside the wall was dropping off a handful of hostages to a makeshift stockade right at the base of the wall. He initially thought they were more ANTIFA goons until they put their hands up at the sight of other guys pointing weapons at them while being corralled into the stockade. More unsettling was the fact that Ivan could make out the forms of women and children among the hostages.

 _"I guess we found those missing people."_ Nick commented.

 _"What's their status?"_ Alex asked. He needs a good grasp of their condition before he makes a call.

"They're currently stuffed into a hastily built stockade that is at the base of the wall, yet still slightly out in the open. Based on what we can see from the drone, ANTIFA has been harassing them by shooting at their feet and other means of intimidation. Interestingly enough, despite the harassment, ANTIFA appears to be keeping them alive." Greg answered.

 _"There hasn't been any call for ransoms or demands to be made…somethings not right."_ Alex said. Usually when civilians are kept hostage, they're used as leverage by terrorists to obtain a form of monetary or political gain. But Vale is a big city with plenty of places to hide, so why are they keeping them outside the city? What purpose do they serve while the defenses are down and Dust is being moved? Alex is seriously contemplating having Winter call her troops in and sweep this whole area…but now there's hostages involved, and he doesn't want to risk their lives. Then again, something big is obviously going down, and he may have to choose between those 50 or so hostages, and what's going to save the most lives. Shit like this is why he's tough on Beacon students, especially on team leaders like Ruby, Jaune or Coco. It's never easy to make a call like that, but he can at least train them for when the time comes. But for now, it'll rest on his shoulders.

"Shit, they just wasted a couple of the hostages." Ivan said with a bitter undertone. He watched as two hostages were dragged out of the stockade and summarily executed with a shot in the back of the head in front of everybody. Despite not being able to hear, it was obvious the rest of the hostages were panicky and terrified at what transpired. And if that wasn't fucked up enough, they threw the two bodies back into the stockade just to continue the torment.

"Did you copy that?" Greg asked.

 _"Yeah."_ Alex replied, frustration present in his voice.

"Should we move in and try to extract them?" It was a full 30 seconds before Greg heard a response.

 _"Negative, stay where you're at. We'll deal with the hostages soon, but with the perimeter defenses offline, getting them back up is the priority."_ Alex responded.

"Copy, we'll stay put." As much as it infuriated Greg that people were being tortured by those ANTIFA pukes, for tactical reasons, he and Ivan should stay in their current position.

 _"Keep scanning the area. There's plenty of empty buildings to keep hostages in…"_ Alex started to say.

"…Yet they're being held outside the wall." Greg finished for him.

 _"I know, shit just keeps piling up."_ Alex commented, knowing Greg's thinking the same.

"We'll radio if we see something."

 _"Roger."_

 **Alex, Nick and Winter**

With little effort, Winter parried the sword heading for her head with her own, and swiftly brought it back around and into the ANTIFA troopers' torso. She had little time to recover, as another enemy appeared and brought a heavy battle axe down that she barely managed to block with her sword. The big brute of man put all his weight down behind his axe, forcing Winter to use both hands to keep the axe from taking her head off. With his immense strength, the ANTIFA thug backed Winter up against the wall. The awkward position kept her from breaking free, but she's not letting this dumbass get the better of her, so she slid her hand towards the button on the handle. With the dagger in hand, she jammed it into his forearm, causing the brute to slightly back off, and give the opportunity for Winter to strike. She kicked forward, knocking him back, then brought up her SMG and emptied its magazine into him. With his Aura shattered, Winter lunged forward and finished him off by thrusting her sword into his mouth. Her face showed no emotion when the man crumpled to the ground, gurgling blood all the way down.

She turned to see Alex grappling with another enemy, and contemplated stepping in to assist. However, he gained the upper hand by twisting the man's arm in an unnatural angle followed by a kick that forced the ANTIFA goon face first into the wall. Alex finished him off with a shot in the back of the head, leaving a blood stain on the wall. To Winter, it was a new feeling, killing people that is. She was trained for most situations including fighting non-Grimm enemies, but practicing is not even close to the real thing. The sensation was difficult to put in words. She didn't enjoy it like some blood thirsty maniac, yet she had no reservations about it either. Winter figured that it must be her sense of duty as a soldier by protecting the innocent by any means necessary.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the yells of Nick flying through the air and into a pile of garbage. The woman who threw him, approached Nick with her mace in hand, ready to crush Nicks' head like a melon. She didn't get far before Nick quickly recovered and fired his rifle, placing two shots dead center of her chest, ignoring her Aura and leaving the woman with a surprised face as the life faded from her eyes.

"You alright Nick?" Alex asked as Nick got up and cleaned the trash off his body.

"Yeah." Nick groaned in response while stretching out his back.

"I'm surprised you can stand. That girl threw you all the way across the room." Winter commented.

"I know, I usually have to pay extra for that kind of treatment from women." Nick jokingly said. Alex lightly chuckled while Winter rolled her eyes at the remark before returning to the task at hand.

"Okay, those stairs will take us back down to ground level and into the generator room." Alex said, pointing to the stairwell.

"But we're going to have to cross through that big open area where all the Dust was going." Nick commented.

"Like Winter said, we're running out of options. If it comes down to it, get ready to shoot our way in. We have to reset the wall defenses." Alex said.

"What about the hostages?" Winter asked.

"Our current objective is to get the defenses back online, but we will rescue them in due time." Alex replied. Winter scowled at that answer.

"They've already killed some of the hostages! We have to recuse them immediately!" Winter exclaimed. She couldn't believe that Alex was putting the lives of hostages second.

"And what's your plan? Have us three move in, rescue them and lead them through a hostile filled environment? Not only would we be putting them in danger, but there'll still be ANTIFA to deal with, and the possibility of explosives in the area makes recusing them right now impractical. Maybe have Greg and Ivan get them? They're too far away to get to them. On top of that, they're keeping a close watch on the area as well as those paladins. Or perhaps we call in reinforcements? I guarantee, as soon as ANTIFA sees one Atlesian ship, those hostages are done for." Alex explained in a semi-sarcastic and annoyed tone. For someone like Winter, Alex couldn't believe she didn't think ahead.

It was there that Winter realized she made one of the most common mistakes a soldier could make: short sighted thinking based on emotion. The immediate need to rescue those in imminent danger overtook her logical side of thinking. Alex was right, rescuing them right now would've been a bad move. Between protecting them and extracting from the area, it just wasn't feasible. Not to mention, the city's northern defenses are down and that effects everybody. She may be the superior fighter, but Alex is proving himself to be the better leader at making decisions.

"You're right." She said with a reluctant sigh. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Alex simply nodded and motioned for the others to follow him down the stairs.

A short while later, the three of them were back on the main level of the wall interior. They crept alongside the hallway, stopping short of large room that led into the main area of the wall and subsequently the generators. The room was spacious and filled with ANTIFA members, but the trio were more focused on the empty Dust crates piled up in and out of the room. Confirming Alex's thoughts, they were indeed using the Dust to make explosives. They watched as two men loaded up a pile of built explosives onto a pallet jack before wheeling it out into the main area. It was a rough estimate, but it looked like there were about 100 shoe box sized explosives charges on the pallet jack. Considering that pallet jacks were coming in and out, coupled with the empty Dust crates and how efficiently ANTIFA seems to be at building these bombs, they must have a huge stockpile of explosives. And they don't look like cheap, hastily made, ghetto-rigged IEDs that the Russians were used to coming across. No, they looked of a much higher, almost military grade quality.

"Come on, we'll cut left to get around this room." Alex said. They passed more and more empty crates of Dust as they continued on. They eventually found an exit and cautiously made their way to it. Within this open area lied the wall support structures and the bulk of ANTIFA's forces, who appeared very preoccupied with constant activities ranging from operating different pully systems while their comrades were strapped into harnesses and were moving about the wall, to routing extremely long wire all over the place. Not to mention the massive pile of explosive charges that runners were moving all over the place.

"Fuck, that's a lot of explosives." Nick commented.

"But what are they doing with them?" Winter asked, before bumping into Alex who suddenly stopped and appeared to be staring upwards. Both Nick and Winter looked to where Alex was…and couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Explosive charges linked together with wire, hundreds of them, as far as they can see, completely lined the wall. Blinking red lights indicated they were armed and ready to go.

"They're going to blow the wall." Alex said, wide eyed in awe at the number of explosives planted alongside the wall.

 _"Alex, come in!"_ Greg radioed with a sense of urgency.

"Please tell me its good news." Alex answered.

 _"There's a huge horde of Grimm heading right for the wall!"_ Greg practically yelled.

"Of course there is." Alex said ironically. Right then, everything clicked and came together in everyone's head.

"So, they're torturing hostages in order to draw the Grimm in." Nick started.

"Then they disable the defenses." Winter followed up.

"And now they're going to blow the wall to allow Grimm to pour into the city." Alex finished off.

"Fuck." Alex, Greg, Nick, Ivan, and surprisingly Winter, all said at once.

 **A/N:**

 **How are our heroes going to handle this?**

 **Well, you'll find out next year.**

 **...**

 **Haha, I know, that joke is so original.**

 **Anyway, hope you all have a good New Year. I'll catch ya on the flip side.**

 **Hawk out.**


	22. Chapter 22

**It should be the Saints and Chiefs going to the Super Bowl. Change my mind.**

Chapter 22: Russian Winter, Part IV

 **Greg and Ivan**

 _"How soon until that Grimm horde reaches the wall?"_ Alex asked.

"It's still a decent ways away, but it'll be there before we know it." Ivan replied, eyes glued to the drone screen. He initially was trying to get a wider view to see if ANTIFA was operating further out into the Forever Fall forest, but what he saw instead was the Grimm making their way towards the wall. Beowolves, Ursai and other "grunt" type Grimm made up the majority of the horde with Deathstalkers, King Taijitus and other larger types slowly joining the horde.

 _"What about the ANTIFA forces out there?"_

"From what we see, it looks like the ones outside the wall are getting ready to head back inside, leaving the hostages to their fate. The ones in the warehouse, appear to be slowing down their operation." Greg answered.

 _"Probably because all the Dust is here at the wall."_ Nick commented.

"There's still a good amount of Dust inside the warehouse. Also, I see another eight Atlesian paladins inside, fully armed and ready for use." Greg added. With all those Dust crates moved out, he can see much more of the warehouse through his scope.

 _"Both of you standby to engage the warehouse. We're going to hit these guys with simultaneous attacks while Winter's forces make their way here."_ Greg and Ivan looked at each other and nodded, indicating they knew what to do.

"Roger, standing by." Greg simply replied.

 **Alex, Nick and Winter**

"Okay, we're running out of time so listen up: Winter, call in your forces, then make your way outside and do what you can to free the hostages. Nick, you're going to head down and reset the power." Alex said, pointing to the stairwell that led to the power room with Winter and Nick both listening intently at Alex's orders.

"We're splitting up?" Nick asked while Winter pulled out her scroll to call in her troops.

"Winter can get around a lot quicker by herself." Alex answered before Winter chimed in.

"Why the change of heart?" Winter asked, skeptical since he told her moments ago to hold off on them on the hostages.

"I didn't know ANTIFA was going to destroy the wall while using the hostages as Grimm bait. That changes things." Alex simply replied.

"Nevertheless, my forces are readying themselves and will be here shortly. I made sure that EOD technicians were with them."

"How long?" Nick asked.

"5-10 minutes."

"Alright, get ready you two." Alex said, checking his ammo.

"Wait, if Winter is going to rescue to hostages and I'm resetting the power, what're you doing?" Nick asked. Alex turned to him, a fire of resolve in his eyes and a subtle smirk under his balaclava.

"I'm going to slow down their progress." He answered, then turned to Winter. "Dust is usually volatile and explosive, right?"

"With the way it's being handled at the moment, yes." Winter answered, not sure why he asked but had a pretty good idea. Her curiosity was sated when Alex pulled an incendiary grenade from his pouch.

"Get ready to run." Without warning, Alex swiftly made his way to the room where the bombs were being assembled and placed himself right outside its doorway. He took a quick peek inside, thankful that the occupants were too preoccupied with their current activities to take notice of him. The ANTIFA members sat at long tables littered with Dust, electrical components, various tools, and equipment used for bomb making. They were working in the fashion of an assembly line, having each person do one simple task in constructing the bomb before sliding it down to the next person and so on. This led to them making several explosives in a relatively short time. Better yet, with each person only having one specific task during the process, there is, theoretically, less chance of someone screwing up than if one person builds the entire bomb themselves. When dealing with explosives, not fucking up the assembly process is imperative, and Alex will give them credit for their efficiency.

"Is he doing what I think he's doing?" Winter asked Nick. Before he could answer, they both watched as Alex threw the incendiary grenade into the doorway and quickly ran back towards them.

A few seconds later a loud "pop" was heard followed by screams coming from the room. Another few seconds passed, and a loud explosion was heard. Another followed it. And then another three went off until finally, the entire supply of Dust in the room went off, engulfing it in flames of various elements and destroying the surrounding walls. The other ANTIFA members stopped what they were doing when they heard the explosions and screams. It was all they could do, seeing as how everything was going smoothly so far. They gawked in shock as a couple of their men came running out of the burning room covered in flames, screaming for help as the flames burned their flesh off. Some of the members managed to come back to their senses and tried to help the two out somehow. Yells were heard telling their comrades to drop and roll but the two weren't listening due to the flames. They wildly ran around the area, flailing their arms in the air until their bodies couldn't take the flames any longer, and collapsed to the ground, screaming their last breaths of life.

Winter would've felt pity for the men if it weren't for the fact that they tortured and murdered civilians for their own selfish ideology. Something about seeing those executed people in the closet struck a nerve in her, and she was going to make sure these bastards pay. Still, being burned alive is a very unpleasant way to go. Alex and Nick were both indifferent due to personal experience that made them resilient to such sights. To them, this was nothing more than a chore.

"What're you guys waiting for?! GO!" Alex shouted. As Winter and Nick ran to their current objectives, Alex brought up his rifle and fired an under-barrel grenade at a pallet jack carrying more Dust. The result was another decent sized explosion that took out a few more hostiles and more fire. The other ANTIFA members quickly scrambled away, trying to find anything to put out the fires while keeping the flames from reaching the rest of the explosives piled up. A few of them were insightful enough to use their personal supply of ice and water Dust to help combat the flames, while others made for the bombs to carry them away from the danger.

Just when they were starting to get things under control, silenced shots rang through the air, and multiple ANTIFA troops dropped dead from the well-placed shots. One of them looked over and saw Alex's form off to the side with his rifle aimed at them. He fired a few more rounds, taking out a couple of enemies, before falling back into the doorway that leads back into the maze of interconnecting hallways of the perimeter wall interior.

"Over there!" The ANTIFA goon shouted, pointing towards Alex.

"After him!" A woman yelled out, drawing her weapon before running to his position. Several others that weren't actively taking care of the fire followed the woman's lead, brandishing their weapons, ready to kill the intruder and any friends he brought.

 **Winter**

Like Alex said, Winter is able to travel much faster on her own. Coupled with being able to use her abilities to their full extent, she is now ten times deadlier to the enemy. She was practically flying down the hallways thanks to her Semblance, while quickly dealing with any opposition that foolishly got in her way. A series of sword strikes combined with her mastery of Dust enhanced by her Semblance made short work of the ANTIFA guards.

She eventually came across large fan blades in front of a ventilation shaft that led to the outside. With time running short and not knowing if there is a nearby access door that leads outside, Winter decided to take a short cut by using a gravity Dust infused glyph to blow away both the large fan and the ventilation cover from their hinges and flying out into the Forever Fall forest. Seeing as how she and the Russians have already caused a good amount of property damage, a little more won't matter in the long run.

Stepping to the ledge of the new hole in the wall, Winter looked down and took notice that she wasn't that far from the ground. About 20 feet give or take. Nothing she couldn't handle. Taking a quick survey of the surroundings, it didn't take her long to spot the makeshift stockade where the hostages were being held. From what she could tell, there were approximately 50 people crammed into the small confined space surrounded by wooden stakes, razor wire, and under the watch of half a dozen hostiles. They were currently loading up into a truck with the intention to leave the area and the hostages to their fate with the Grimm.

Without wasting any time, Winter launched herself forward into the air, and with an impressive front flip, she landed in front of the truck, catching the ANTIFA goons by surprise and forcing the driver to slam the brakes. She brought up her SMG and sent a flurry of bullets through the windshield and into the torsos of the driver and passenger, eliminating them from the fight. The other four jumped out from the bed of the truck with weapons ready to confront their foe. Too bad for them, their foe is a highly skilled Atlesian Specialist who currently seeks retribution for ANTIFA's heinous activities.

The difference in skill between a highly trained soldier and a group of amateur thugs was blatantly obvious. Demonstrating swordsmanship with the grace and elegance that seems to radiate from Winter, she effortlessly and mercilessly took down the rest of the ANTIFA goons with a series of sword attacks enhanced with her superior Aura manipulation abilities. When it was all said and done, she was left surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her enemies, plus the two in the truck. With all hostiles neutralized, Winter turned her attention to the stockade and the hostages within.

"Stand back!" Winter ordered to the hostages before bringing down her sword to break through the door. It was then that she got better a view of the current condition of the hostages. In short, they were in terrible condition. The group consisted of mostly Faunus with a handful of Humans among them. There was an even dispersion of men and women, of whom most were adults, but elders, teens and even young children were present. Their bodies were dirty, beaten, bruised and bloodied from ANTIFA's abuse. Winter wasn't sure how long these people have been here, but some of them appeared to be half starved based on how thin they looked, indicating they must've been there for a while. The more she looked at her surroundings, the worse it got. Finally, she saw the poor souls that were murdered by ANTIFA: Two adult males, two adult females…and one male child, aged 11 or 12, being held in his sobbing mothers embrace. Winter nearly broke down at the horrible sight of a mother losing her child, but she had to remain strong.

"Everyone, we must leave before the Grimm arrive." Winter addressed to the crowd. One of the now freed hostage spoke up.

"Many of us are injured, there's no way we'll make it past the Grimm." A man commented. Thankfully, Winter had a plan for that.

"We can use that truck to get all of you out." Winter replied. This was the exact reason why she intercepted the truck, rather than wait for it to leave the area before rescuing the hostages.

"How are we going to get back into the city?" A Faunus woman asked. Before Winter could answer, another person stepped in, an older Faunus man with deer antlers, who you could tell took a heavy beating based on the dried blood on his face.

"They used a service gate to get in and out. One of those ANTIFA punks should have a remote on them that controls it." He answered, voice slightly hoarse but still strong.

"You saw them use it?" Winter asked.

"I was in the last group those bastards brought over here and saw everything." He replied.

"Then you know the way." She commented. "Do you think you can lead these people back by driving the truck?" Winter already knew she was going to have her hands full protecting them from the Grimm. Having someone else drive would allow her to focus solely on protection.

"Yes ma'am, I can do that." He said with confidence.

"Excellent. What's your name sir?" She asked.

"Greenwood, John Greenwood ma'am." The Faunus man replied. A sudden roar in the distance caused everyone, minus Winter and John, to look up in terror towards the forest.

"We don't have much time. John, find the door control and ready the truck." John simply nodded and did what he was told." Everyone else, start loading up. I need any able bodies to help the injured." She said in her authoritative tone.

Immediately, everyone was up and moving helping one another, whether they were Human of Faunus. However, the hardest decision was what to do with the deceased. For all Winter cared, the ANTIFA members could be left to rot and be devoured by Grimm. But what about the civilians? On one hand, it'll be unsettling and slightly cumbersome to take the bodies with them on the truck. On the other hand, they don't deserve to be left for the Grimm to feast on. Not surprisingly, it was decided that they would take the deceased with them. At least then, they could be put to rest with dignity and respect. It was a grisly and morbid task, but eventually the fallen were carried to the truck by presumably, their loved ones and others who had the stomach for it. The mother who embraced her dead son was the most difficult to convince to move, as expected. Nearly everyone among the civilians gave her words of encouragement, refusing to leave her behind despite the mother's insisting on staying. Not use to these kind of situations, Winter stepped up to try and help. She took a knee next to the sobbing mother and placed a compassionate hand on her shoulder.

"I will never truly understand the terrible pain of losing a child. The feelings of guilt of not being able to protect your child, coupled with hopelessness and anger would tear anyone apart. But his memories and legacy live on with you." The grieving mother briefly stopped sobbing and slightly looked up towards Winter. "So long as his name is still spoken, he will never truly be gone. For that to happen, you must press on to ensure that your son will never be forgotten through you." Winter wasn't too sure where these words were coming from. Perhaps she read them in a book that had similar wording. Maybe she picked up some interpersonal skills from conversing with Alex, especially since she found out he's more articulate than she initially thought. Or maybe, they just came naturally. Whatever the case, she was sincere in her words, temporarily dropping the "Ice Queen" persona she's known for.

The woman seemed to have temporarily regained her composure at Winter's empathy. She didn't smile, but the look in her eyes told Winter that she understood and agreed. With her son still in her embrace, the woman was helped up to her feet by Winter and helped onto the truck by the others. Right as Winter was about to find John, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned only to find that it was the mother's hand.

"…Thank you for rescuing us." Her soft voice contained traces of gratitude yet had the underlying tone of defeat in it as well. Several other echoes of thanks were heard from the others, each one filled with gratitude. Seeing those hopeful faces reminded Winter of why she joined the military.

The moment, however, was interrupted by a lone Beowulf charging right at the truck, catching even Winter off guard. The Beowulf lunged forward, ready to sink its teeth into the weak and injured civilians but was stopped when something sharp got in its way. Winter removed the sword from its body, then turned to face the woods, only to see two more rushing them.

"Make for the gate John! I'll catch up!" Winter shouted. She didn't need to tell him twice. Figuring that Winter can hold her own, he put his foot on the accelerator and peeled out heading straight for the gate. One of the Beowulf's swiped its claw towards her head, but Winter easily blocked the attack. Before she could counter attack, the second one circled around and lunged forward. Sensing the danger, Winter brought up her SMG to fire, but the Beowulf clamped its jaws down onto the guns barrel, rendering the weapon useless. It then ripped the SMG out of her hands and threw it far out into the forest. Winter took advantage of this opportunity by summoning two small glyphs underneath the Beowolves and conjuring two large ice spikes that lifted the two Grimm off the ground and impaled them from below.

 _"Be it Grimm or terrorist, the people of Vale will sleep soundly tonight, knowing they are protected."_ Winter declared in her head as she saw more Grimm emerging from the forest. She summoned more glyphs to propel herself forward and catch up with the truck. She can protect them, but without the perimeter defenses online, it could possibly be all for nothing. _"Come on Nick, we're all counting on you."_

 **Nick**

Luckily, Nick met little to no resistance as he made his way down into the utility level of the wall's superstructure. He figured that most of ANTIFA's forces were upstairs dealing with Alex, so he needed to work fast before Alex gets wasted. And not the fun way. Nick stepped through the doorway with his rifle raised and did a quick scan. The room was free of hostiles and would've been fairly spacious if it wasn't filled with massive power generators, transformers, relay stations, and every other device used for power distribution. It was loud with the combine noises of machinery and electrical crackles coming off of coils. He carefully made his way across the room over to what looked like a control console. The screen indicated that power levels were normal, and systems were online and fully operational. Nick knew that was a damn lie.

"Okay, according to movies and TV shows, there has to be some kind of master switch or something around here." He said out loud. A quick search led him right to what appears to be, the primary power source. And lo and behold, there was a large knife switch with a label that read, _"Main Power, Authorized personnel use only."_ The switch was covered in safety locks, no doubt as a precaution to prevent unauthorized use. Too bad they were cheap, flimsy locks that Nick was able to shoot off with ease. "Here goes nothing."

As soon as he flipped the switch, the entire northern section of the wall was completely shut down. Light systems, door controls, and everything in between had gone offline. The entire wall area was pitch black, save for a few emergency lights. Nick then flipped it back, only to find that the lights were still off.

"Hmm." He said in amusement. Making his way to the central console, he felt relief when he saw the screen lit up, lines of code appearing as the console began its startup. A loading bar then popped up followed by a command prompt. "Yes, restart all systems." He said while pressing the enter key. More prompts appeared as the system continued its reboot process and selected 'yes' for all of them. "Just like any other computer." Nick commented.

 _"What's happening Nick?"_ Alex asked.

"The system is rebooting, why?" He replied.

 _"The lights are still off."_ Alex replied over the sound of gunshots.

"Yeah I don't know. Maybe there's a startup delay for them." Nick commented while trying to see if there's a circuit breaker or something for the lighting system.

 _"I have my goggles on so it's not bad right now. I just don't want the lights the kick back on and blind me."_ A small explosion echoed from Alex's end followed by more gunshots.

"Sounds like you're having fun." Nick commented in reference to the fighting he hears in the background.

 _"Well when you're done, head back up and we'll rendezvous back at the control room."_

"Copy, I'll make my way there." Nick took one last look at the status monitor before heading up and saw that all systems are starting up normally and will be fully operational within minutes. More importantly however, where before Nick restarted the power and everything was green despite the offline defenses, there were now several displays in red indicating errors in the system. "All right, we're in business." Nick said in satisfaction knowing that the plan worked, and the system is un-fucked…for the most part. He quickly made his way back upstairs and brought down his NVG's, ready to find Alex in the darkness of the wall superstructure.

 **Greg and Ivan**

"It looks Winter managed to save the hostages." Ivan commented to Greg.

"Where are they now?" Greg asked.

"They're in a truck, and I believe it's heading for the access gate."

"What about the Grimm?"

"Winter's doing a good job of fighting them off, but she won't be able to do that forever." Before Greg could respond, Alex called in.

 _"Greg, start attacking the warehouse!"_ Alex shouted over the sounds of gunfire and explosives.

"What the hell is going on?!" Greg asked.

 _"We're in the process of getting the defenses back online but these fuckers are everywhere. Attacking the warehouse should draw some of them away."_ Alex replied.

"We're on it!" Greg turned to Ivan." Get the RPG's!" Ivan set aside the drone screen and went to grab the two smaller RPG-26's and the larger RPG-27. He tossed one of the 26's to Greg while readying the other one for himself. Thanks to their simplicity, the guys can use and operate most RPG's with little training. Of course, Nick has the most training and experience with the various types of launchers from the simple RPG-7, to the more specialized 9K333 "Verba" portable surface-to-air missile. Still, Alex made sure that everyone can use a variety of weapons, including each other's if necessary.

"What's the target?" Ivan asked, placing the RPG on his shoulder.

"Aim for the Dust crates." Greg replied. Though most of the Dust has already been moved to the wall, there were still many crates in the warehouse, most of which was moved closer to the loading dock for easier access when the trucks returned. "Fire!" Greg shouted.

The two rockets found their marks, with Ivan's hitting the crates outside on the docks, and Greg's hitting inside the warehouse and the rest of the Dust crates. As expected, the explosions ignited the Dust, and the entire warehouse was rocked with explosions and engulfed in flames with many ANTIFA troops caught in the blaze. Taking advantage of the confusion, Ivan and Greg threw the empty tubes aside, grabbed their main weapons, and continued their assault.

While Greg picked off enemies with his Dragunov, Ivan was spraying the area below with his Pecheneg. ANTIFA troops were falling left and right, unaware that their protective Auras weren't stopping the Russian weaponry until it was too late for them. By the time they figured it out, most of them were already dead, injured, or trying to take cover while avoiding the gun fire, as well as secondary explosions coming from the warehouse.

"Who the fuck are these guys!?" An ANTIFA member shouted to no one in particular. He and some of his comrades were pinned down behind some of the trucks but the sheer power of the Russian weapons were tearing through their cover like nothing. Unfortunately, they were caught in middle between the burning warehouse, and the concentrated fire on their positions. They all watched in horror as they're colleagues were either shot full of holes, shot in the head, or caught in the Dust fires.

"The warehouse is under attack! Does anyone copy!?" Another shouted into his radio in an attempt to contact the rest of their forces. "Is anybody…gah!" Ivan cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"You bastards!" A woman yelled out in rage. Furious, she stepped out from her cover to get a better shot at the Russians. She barely managed to bring her rifle up before a bullet found its way into her head, courtesy of Greg.

"Enemies reinforcements coming from both sides!" Greg shouted to Ivan. No doubt the other patrols heard the fighting and quickly made their way over to the warehouse. Both Ivan and Greg shifted their fire over to the new threats to prevent their position from being overran. ANTIFA fought back with bullets, throwing knives, arrows, Dust blasts, and all sorts of attacks that made Greg and Ivan take cover. The two continued putting pressure on the ANTIFA forces, but a loud mechanical rumble was heard coming from the warehouse. They looked down towards the ground, knowing what's coming.

"Son of a bitch." Ivan simply said, witnessing the Paladin making it's way out of the flaming warehouse.

"I guess not all of them got destroyed in the explosions." Greg commented. He hoped that firing the rockets at the Dust would destroy or the very least, damage those Paladins. The battlemech aimed its main guns up towards their position and fired away, forcing the two to once again take cover. It then concentrated on using its grenades and rockets in an attempt to draw out the Russians or bring the building down. Fragmentation and pieces of building flew everywhere, causing Greg and Ivan to find cover in the lower levels of the building.

"That thing certainly packs a punch." Ivan commented. More rockets were fired at the building, causing some of the walls to collapse and exposing the building cross-section.

"Hopefully the 'Tavolga' can pierce the armor." Greg replied, motioning to the RPG-27 they still had. It's similar to the RPG-26 with the only difference being it weighed more and does more damage thanks to a larger rocket, though not as heavy as more powerful launchers like the RPG-28 or 30.

"Okay, I'm going to head to the far side of the building and try to draw its fire. Stay on the other side where you can hopefully, hit the rear or side of the cockpit." Greg explained while handing the RPG to Ivan.

"And if this doesn't work, well… it was nice knowing you." Ivan joked, to which Greg replied with a short laugh.

Making their way to opposite ends of the building, Ivan went to the side that had the collapsed wall and took cover by an overturned desk while prepping the rocket. Greg was hugging the wall on the other side, glancing out the window to get a better view of the Paladin. The battlemech was still in its same spot firing rockets and using it's guns to tear the building apart, while the ANTIFA forces started making their way to their building. With no time to lose, Greg popped out from cover and took several shots at some of the advancing infantry, as well as the cockpit of the Paladin. The battlemech turned it's attention towards Greg's position and fired its machine gun, but Greg was already long gone. Just as the Paladin was about to unleash another barrage of rockets, an alarm alerted the pilot that something was incoming from behind. He tried to maneuver away, but it was too late.

Ivan's rocket hit the cockpit directly from the rear. It penetrated through the more vulnerable armor with relative ease, killing the pilot and disabling the Paladin. The nearby ANTIFA troops could only stare in disbelief as the Paladin collapsed forward, spraying sparks and flames, and showing the rockets impact point and the hole it made.

"Nice shot man." Greg complimented to Ivan. He was relieved that the 27 managed to take the down the Paladin. Then again, it looked like a prototype model that probably wasn't fully configured to battle specifications, and they'd most likely be screwed if it was fully armed and armored. Still, they'll take the small victories.

"How do you think that thing would fair against a T-14?" Ivan asked while tossing the expend tube to the side and grabbing his machine gun.

"I'm not sure. The Paladin is definitely more maneuverable and agile, but I think the T-14 could blast it from a longer range. Again, I don't know." Greg replied as he brought his rifle back up, readying himself for ANTIFA's counterattack. However, the guys on the ground seemed to be diverting their attention somewhere else. Shouts were heard telling everyone to fall back while they ran for cover.

"Over there!" Ivan yelled, pointing off in the distance. Greg poked his head out the window and saw the very welcoming sight of dozens of Atlesian ships flying towards them.

 _"Fireteam AGNI, this is Frostbite 2-1; Does anyone copy?"_ An Atlesian pilot radioed.

"2-1, this is Sgt. Fedorov; I read you loud and clear." Greg replied.

 _"Roger, what's your status over?"_

"Cpl. Sokolov and I are currently hold up in an office building and engaging enemies at the warehouse." Greg replied.

 _"We can see the fires all the way from Beacon. Is Specialist Schnee or Sgt. Volkov with you?"_

"Negative. Sgt. Volkov and Cpl. Stepanov are engaging hostiles in the wall superstructure while attempting to restore the perimeter defenses. Specialist Schnee is outside the perimeter escorting rescued civilians away from an approaching Grimm horde."

 _"Roger that. We'll set up a perimeter around the mission area and divvy up our forces to assist you all."_

"Thanks 2-1, we'll see you on the ground." Greg and Ivan watched as the Atlesian ships all flew in different directions and began unloading soldiers. Near their position, ANTIFA were taking potshots at some of the airships, but they responded with full machine guns at the attackers. Eventually, ground troops entered the area and began engaging any stragglers that stayed behind.

 _"I caught the tail end of that call. Are the Atlesians here?"_ Alex asked.

"Affirmative. They're setting up a perimeter and are sending relief forces to your position." Greg replied as he watched Ivan wave to some of the Atlesians on the ground, who returned the gesture in response.

 _"Copy. Nick and I will keep an eye out."_

 **Alex and Nick**

It wasn't hard for Nick to find where Alex was. All he had to do was follow the sounds of battle echoing through the hallways. But like Alex said, the main lights were still off for some reason, leaving the whole place in a sea of darkness save for a few emergency lights. Good thing Nick and Alex have night vison goggles, otherwise they would've accidentally shot each other when they ran into each other in one of the hallways. Currently, the two were pushing back towards the control room where luckily, ANTIFA resistance was falling due to them not being able to see in the dark, and the Russian weaponry that cut through them like paper.

"I think they finally figured out that charging head on leads to instant death." Nick commented while prepping a grenade to take out the dug in enemies.

"They learned that when they were chasing me around these hallways." Alex replied as he reloaded. ANTIFA initially thought they had the upper hand against Alex when they were pursuing him down the corridors…but they were wrong. He was quick enough to turn hallway corners and set up hasty ambushes, picking off a couple of enemies when they moved in before firing an under-barrel grenade and moving on. This hit and run maneuver was effective at breaking up the pursuing forces, while allowing Alex to get some distance from them. He kept this going up until the lights were shut off.

Then all hell broke loose.

ANTIFA didn't have natural night vision like the Faunus, and the emergency lighting wasn't that great. With night vision goggles and a suppressor for his AK-12, Alex was like a ghost. One by one, the pursuers fell to their unseen enemy, bodies piling up in the hallways. Some of them lost their nerves and tried to retreat, but they ran straight into Nick, who put them out of their torment.

"What the hell are these guys even shooting at?" Nick asked, noticing that their enemies shots were spraying all over the place.

"They can't see us, so they're just shooting randomly in hopes they'll hit us." Alex replied, taking out another one. On the other end of the hallway, the dug in ANTIFA troops were in full panic.

"Oh man, we are so fucked!" One of them said as he popped up to fire his weapon. As soon as he did, a bullet found its way into his head.

"Shit! Our Auras aren't protecting us from whatever their using on us!" Another exclaimed. He tried to blind fire his rifle over his cover but failed to notice the grenade that flew over him. It detonated, killing him and two others that were nearby. Another explosion was heard, but it sounded much farther away. Distant gunfire and yelling soon followed.

 _"Atlesian troops are attacking the loading dock!"_ Someone shouted over the radio. That seemed to be the last straw for some of the ANTIFA members.

"Fuck this, I'm out of here!" One of them shouted. He threw his weapon to the ground and was about to make a run for it, but a hand smacked him upside his face and forced him to the ground. The rest of the members trembled at the sight of the imposing figure who laid the guy out: Their current leader, a man going by the name Crucifix.

He was of average height and weight, dressed in a stereotypical biker gang outfit complete with boots, jeans, white shirt, and a black leather vest with the sleeves cut off and ANTIFA's logo stitched on the back. His face is almost always hidden behind a faceless, black metal mask with a painted blue cross in the center, and a steel helmet to protect his head. The only noticeable features were his fair skin, and his eyes; one red, the other blue.

"Get ahold of yourselves!" He shouted to the others in a commanding tone. Compared to most of ANTIFA, Crucifix has a reputation of being a competent commander as well as a formidable fighter. Not much is known about him personally since he just showed up out of nowhere, but he is directly responsible for multiple attacks against the White Fang and their supporters that forced the White Fang to retreat to their Mountain Glen hideout. Several Huntsmen have been sent out in an attempt to bring him to justice, but none have returned and are presumed dead by his hand. Since then, he has been declared a major threat to Vale and are willing to pay for either his capture or death.

"Sir, our enemies are somehow breaking through our Auras and preventing us from getting close." A woman explained.

"I'm aware of our current situation, which is why I'm giving out the order for our remaining forces to fall back." Crucifix explained.

"But what about the operation?" Another asked.

"The Atlesians have us out-gunned and out-manned, many of our brothers and sisters have fallen, and we lost all the detonators when the bomb making room was hit. We have nothing left to gain. Our enemies have earned their victory today." Crucifix calmly explained, despite the gunfire. In truth, he was against this plan from the start and was only sent to oversee the final preparations by ANTIFA's higher ups. He argued that this plan would highlight them as public enemy number one, and the four Kingdoms would combine efforts and seek retribution against their organization. Crucifix prefers subtlety when dealing with the White Fang and their sympathizers. He can't wait to go up to the leadership and tell them off, but right now, he needs to save what's left of Vale's ANTIFA chapter before their enemies destroy them. Reaching into his pocket, Crucifix pulled out a handful of small explosive charges before giving the order to retreat.

 _"I'm sure we'll cross paths once again, unknown warriors. Until then, enjoy your victory, for I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield."_ Crucifix thought to himself.

"Hey, they're falling back." Nick pointed out. Alex squinted his eyes and indeed, saw the ANTIFA forces retreating.

"Let's push forward!" Alex ordered. They kept their rifles up as they proceeded down the hallway, lest ANTIFA try any funny business.

As if on cue, explosions went off in front of them, causing that portion of the hallways' ceiling and walls to collapse and block the path. Thankfully, Alex and Nick weren't caught in that blast.

"Guess they don't want to be followed." Nick commented.

"Let them go for now, we need to make sure the wall defenses are back online." Alex replied. As the two Russians made their way back to the control room, the main lighting system finally kicked on, allowing them to remove their night vison goggles…once they recovered from the amplified light that briefly blinded them.

"Fucking shit!" Nick exclaimed while rubbing his eyes.

"At least it didn't happen in the middle of a firefight." Alex joked to lighten the mood. Once they entered the control room, the first thing they noticed that more alarms were going off. Then they noticed some of the displays showing that this section was completely offline. But none of it mattered because of what they heard coming from the console.

 _"Perimeter defenses offline, outside station defense override initiated."_ The robotic female voice said. Alex then took a closer look at the status monitors, and although they still read 'offline' in red letters, there was a green star next to it that indicates another station has taken control. _"Incoming Grimm detected, preparing to engage"_ The sounds of machinery coming to life echoed throughout the wall was quickly followed up by the sounds of weaponry going off. This normally would've meant that the two could relax, but one thing was still left unchecked.

"I hope Winter's alright." Alex commented. With all the fighting going on, he almost forgot that he sent her out on her own outside the wall.

"I wouldn't worry about Winter. From what I can tell, she's a badass." Nick replied.

"Yeah she is. Well, let's go regroup with Greg, Ivan and the Atlesians. With any luck, Winter is already grouped up with her forces." Alex said.

 **Winter**

 _"You have Death stalkers closing in on your position."_ The Atlesian pilot communicated to Winter as it flew close to her.

"Engage all hostiles 2-1, we're almost at the gate!" Winter replied. She was currently using her glyphs to keep pace with the truck while clearing any Grimm that got too close. At first, they were the smaller variety that she could deal with easily. However, as the main horde approached, so did the larger and more deadlier types arrive. Winter is able to take them, but even she has her limits. Fighting both ANTIFA and the Grimm was starting to take its toll on her, but she had to press on in order to protect the freed hostages. It was a bloody miracle that Winter's forces arrived when they did.

 _"Copy, salvos inbound!"_ Frostbite 2-1 replied. The Atlesian escort ships fired multiple barrages of rockets, followed by machine guns into the Grimm invested forest to slow down their advance. If it wasn't for the Grimm, Winter would've had the civilians load onto the air ships, but since the area is too hot to land, they'll stick to air support while the truck makes for the gate.

"There it is ma'am!" John shouted to Winter. She looked to see what appears to just be more wall, but black and yellow hazard stripes that outlined a small section of the wall identified it as gate access.

"Step on it John!" Winter shouted back. As they got closer, more Grimm started appearing. They came in, swarming towards the truck while Winter desperately fought them off. Despite her best efforts, there were just too many of them. Her airships were being harassed by Nevermores, so they couldn't assist at the moment. The civilians cried out in fear, knowing that this was the end of the line. And they were so close to making it out alive. _"Not like this."_ Winter thought to herself.

Just when all seemed lost, alarms started blaring out followed by the sounds of machinery activating. Winter looked back towards the wall, and felt her spirit suddenly rise at the wonderful sight of auto-turrets emerging from the wall.

The defenses were back online.

A flurry of machine gun fire, light cannons, rockets, mortars, heavy cannons, Dust launchers, and more, shot out and obliterated the Grimm hordes with deadly accuracy. Smaller Grimm were cut down by the machine guns and light cannons, larger Grimm were blown to bits by heavy artillery, and anti-air rockets knocked those pesky Nevermores out of the sky. All of this occurred without injuring Winter, the civilians, or the Atlesian escort. All parties cheered at the perfectly timed miracle while John opened the gate with the remote and drove on through. Winter watched as the gate closed behind her before directing John to drive towards the wall loading dock where the Atlesians have set up a temporary staging area.

 _"Now that's what I'm talking about!"_ Frostbite 2-1 exclaimed.

 _"We made it."_ Winter thought with a satisfied grin under her balaclava.

 **Atlesian staging area.**

"Well son of bitch! Is that you Alex?" John asked in surprise.

"John Greenwood? From Oxford?" Alex asked in response. The older Faunus man approached the young Russian with a grin before they shook hands in greeting followed by a brotherly hug.

"Small world after all." John commented.

"How'd you get wrapped up in all this?" Alex asked, wondering what the chances were of running into one of the first people he met when he "arrived" on Remnant.

"Last thing I remember was walking home from work, when all of these ANTIFA pukes jumped me and knocked me out. Next thing I knew, me and a bunch of other people were left to be Grimm bait. At least until your lady friend showed up and saved all our assess." John answered.

"I knew Winter could handle it." Alex commented.

"Winter? As in Winter Schnee?" John asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Alex responded.

"Never thought I'd be saved by a Schnee of all people." John commented. Alex was well aware the Schnee family and the SDC didn't have the best relationship with the Faunus. So he understands John's surprise that the eldest Schnee daughter risked her life to save them.

"I can't speak for the rest of the family, but Winter and her younger sister are okay." Alex said.

"I'm glad that not all Schnees are the same. Anyway, I'm going to get these injuries looked at, so please give my thanks to Miss Schnee."

"No problem John. Get well soon."

"Thanks Alex. It was good seeing you again."

"Likewise." As John made his way over to the medical tent, Alex walked through the makeshift camp to find the rest of the guys. Since there was still possible ANTIFA presence, the Atlesians were on high alert while sending out patrols to search for any stragglers. Their EOD teams were hard at work defusing all the explosives that ANTIFA set up throughout the superstructure, while firefighters worked to put out the flames from the burning warehouse and areas of the wall. Thankfully, the firefighters and EOD determined that the explosive detonators were destroyed when Alex ignited the Dust in their bomb making room, preventing ANTIFA from blowing the wall altogether. Now all EOD had to do was use modified electric Dust to create a small EMP that fries the bombs circuitry, making it safer to handle.

He then passed by Greg talking to an Atlesian officer who seemed upset that he and Ivan destroyed those Paladins in the warehouse. The Atlesians would've preferred if they could save them, but Greg simply asked if they'd rather see those Paladins destroyed, or in the hands of their enemies. That seemed to get the officer off his back. He spotted Gary standing outside his bullhead talking to Nick and Ivan while they all smoked cigarettes. Alex would've joined them, but first he needed find Winter.

A few minutes of searching led him back to the medical area where he saw her talking with some of the patients, particularly the children. She removed the balaclava she was wearing, allowing Alex to get a good look at her smiling and comforting the children while nurses tended to their injuries. With the way she interacted with the kids, coupled with the relaxed look her free flowing hair gave, Winter appeared very nurturing and motherly. Which is very ironic because he sees how she interacts with Weiss, and it's nothing like how she's acting right now. Once the children were tended to, they waved goodbye to her as they were loaded onto a transport to take them to a nearby hospital. It was then that Winter noticed Alex standing nearby, smirking at her.

"And here I though you were a stone-cold ice bitch." He said in a tone of amusement. Winter kept a neutral expression but had a very subtle grin present.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of empathy and compassion just like any normal person." She replied.

"Well you could've fooled me." As Alex's smile grew, Winter's face returned back to her normal, no-nonsense look.

"Since you don't possess an Aura, might I suggest you be aware of what escapes your lips?" She retorted with her own hint of amusement.

"Ah there's the Winter we all know and love." She slightly grinned at that sort of compliment. "Anyway, I came to let you know that John Greenwood gives his thanks to you, and I give my personal gratitude towards your phenomenal performance today."

"Tell Mr. Greenwood I appreciate it, and that I extend my thanks for his help in driving the truck out of there." She said very proudly. "And I must admit that you and the others are very capable as well. You especially, are very good at keeping a level head and coming up with plans on the spot." That was a genuine compliment on Winter's part.

"It comes from plenty of experience." Alex replied.

"Speaking of which, I seem to recall you saying you'd explain a few things including how you are in possession of weapons that can break through Auras." She said in a quizzical tone.

"That's right, I did." Alex replied. "I do owe you an explanation, but right now isn't the ideal environment to discuss such topics. Maybe another time over drinks perhaps?" He asked with a sly grin.

"Well…"

"Specialist Schnee!" A soldier shouted as he ran up to her.

"What is it?" She asked, upset that she was interrupted.

"General Ironwood has been trying to contact you ma'am." He replied.

"For what reason?"

"There's Grimm inside the city!" The soldier exclaimed, leaving Alex and Winter stunned in surprise.

 **A/N:**

 **I suppose I owe you a longer chapter, hope this suffices.**

 **As always, thanks for your support and your patience seeing as how I don't have time pump out multiple chapters. Until then,**

 **Hawk out.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Wow, this is WAY overdue, so let's just jump right into it.**

Chapter 23: Battle of the Breach

 **Atlesian staging area**

"There's Grimm in the city?! How?!" Winter practically shrieked to the soldier.

"Reports indicate a train broke through from the old underground tunnels beneath the city and made a clear path for the Grimm to move in. General Ironwood has ordered all available forces to converge at the breach." The soldier replied. Many of the Atlesians stopped what they were doing to listen in at what the soldier was saying. Greg, Nick and Ivan also joined in.

"Wait, how does a train just randomly shoot out from an old abandoned underground tunnel?" Alex asked the soldier.

"We don't know for sure, but supposedly the White Fang is responsible." The soldier replied. That response did not sit well with Winter, Alex or anyone within earshot.

"So two ideologically opposed terrorist groups just happen to pull off an attack that brings Grimm into the city at relatively the same time? I call bullshit." Greg said, saying out loud what everyone was thinking.

"We'll discuss that later. Right now, we need to help contain the Grimm breakout." Alex replied, gaining nods of approval from everyone present. But he agreed with Greg on how two similar methods of attack were carried out at the same time, by two groups of people who are at war with each other. Something didn't add up.

Wasting no time, the four Russians jumped into the bullhead, ready to provide support in the defense. Thanks to a suggestion from Ivan, there was extra ammunition, grenades, rockets and other supplies kept in the storage compartment of Gary's bullhead, so the guys were able to resupply for the upcoming battle. Winter was about to climb aboard but was immediately stopped by Alex holding up his hand and leaving her with a confused expression.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked with an undertone of irritation.

"Specialist Schnee, I think it would be best if you stayed behind." He said to Winter. In relaxed settings, he'll call her by first name. But in professional settings, especially in front of her subordinate troops, she's addressed formally by her rank and surname.

"And I believe it would be best if I joined the defenses, Sergeant." She replied with a surprising quick wit.

"I'm well aware of your capabilities, Specialist. However, there's still ANTIFA forces in the area that need to be dealt with, and these soldiers need their commanding officer to lead them." He said matter of factly. Alex then turned towards the group of survivors still tending to their wounds before noticing that Winter looked exhausted but was keeping up her composure. "Not to mention those civilians need protection, and you are in no condition to fight another prolonged battle until your Aura recovers." Winter was surprised that Alex was able to tell that she was low on Aura. Then again…it's Alex. She let out a deep sigh.

"Very well. I'll stay here and make sure the area is secure." She said with a straight face. Though she may be the more powerful fighter, Alex, at least in her eyes, continues to be the superior leader compared to her. Of course she knew the only way he become that way was through direct battlefield experience, which brings up the question on how someone so young like Alex gained such experience.

"My men and I will head towards the breach and assist in anyway we can. Any troops or air support you can spare will be appreciated." Alex said in his mature, professional tone.

"I'll need my ground forces to secure the area, but I can send Frostbite 2-1 and my fighters to assist."

"Alright, send them out towards the breach point. We're going in hot, so they'll be needed to soften up any resistance." Alex replied as the bullhead's engines started up.

"In addition to our forces, there should be police units and other Huntsmen converging to the breach!" Winter shouted over the roar of the engines.

"Got it! We'll keep our eyes open.!" He shouted back. The bullhead began to lift off the ground for take off and Alex was about to take a seat, but Winter called out a final set of words that he barely heard.

"Good luck…and be careful!" Though her face remained straight, there was definite concern in her voice. Instead of shouting back, Alex simply gave her a casual two-finger salute that basically said everything's all good.

"Alright Gary, let's go!" Alex shouted towards the cockpit. Winter watched as the Russian bullhead took off, followed by her attack ships, before turning back and relaying orders to her troops.

 **Downtown Vale area**

The radio on the bullhead was overwhelmed with chatter between the Atlesian military, Vale police, and emergency groups alerting citizens to seek shelter. Down below, the guys could see civilians running for their lives while Huntsmen, policemen, and soldiers all headed towards the breach. In the air around them, all available air forces were deployed to support both civilian evacuations and elimination of all Grimm presence. The guys were sitting in the back, fully restocked and reloaded with ammo and explosives, waiting for the upcoming fight. Unlike the last time they came into contact with the Grimm, they'll have much more support from other friendlies in the area in addition to knowing what to expect from the Grimm. All they needed to do was keep their distance and let their heavy hitting weapons take care of everything else. It also occurred to them that they should do something nice for Professor Peach, as she has been working very hard to keep the Russians supplied with their superior weaponry. Between special ordering the expensive raw materials and taking time for the lengthy and delicate procedure of manufacturing, the guys really do owe her big time.

 _"Incoming Nevermores! Take evasive action!"_ Frostbite shouted from the radio, bringing the guy's focus back to the task at hand. Gary and the other Atlesian ships maneuvered in the air, firing their weapons while avoiding the oncoming Nevermores and their deadly feather attack. Some of the Nevermores fell to the Atlesians but not without taking a number of ships down with them. Many of the ships were taken down by the Nevermores simply ramming into them or using their razor-sharp talons to grab the ships out of the air and throw them to the ground. A few unfortunate ships were also taken down by the feathers launched by them. After witnessing a feather shoot through a ship's windshield, impaling the pilot and causing it to crash into a nearby building, the guys knew they needed to land right now or risk getting knocked out of the sky. Alex took a quick look down below and saw some of the Atlesian ground forces set up at a makeshift staging area.

"Gary! Land us near those Atlesian forces!" Alex shouted, determining that it's their best option at the moment.

"There's not enough space for me to land!" Gary shouted back.

"Get us close and release the drop cables! We'll fast rope down to them and then you get out of here!" Alex replied. Gary nodded and made his way over to the Atlesian forces. He set the bullhead to hover directly over them before pushing the button that releases the drop cables. On both of the bullhead's wings, a door popped open to allow heavy duty cables to fall freely to the ground. The cables are normally used to help haul heavy equipment, but because the guys wear protective gloves, the Russians can easily use them to fast rope down to the ground.

Alex was the first to grab hold of the cable and slide down before Greg followed his lead a few seconds later. Nick and Ivan did the same thing on the other side of the bullhead. As soon as they were all on the ground, Alex gave a thumbs up to Gary, who hit the button that retracted the cables back into the bullhead at lightning fast speed.

 _"Good luck out there!"_ Gary radioed before flying away from the combat zone. The Russians took a moment to take in their surroundings and assess what's going on. They were in the middle of an intersection that was surrounded by a couple of Atlesian IFVs and a couple dozen of troopers. Among the troops were also a handful of Vale policemen and what appeared to be Huntsmen, who were busy leading civilians to safety and tending to any injuries. Their base of operations was in what could be considered a strategic location because they were set up right in front of a bridge that crosses over one of the intersecting rivers of the city.

"I didn't think you guys would be joining us over here." A familiar voice called out from the side.

"General Ironwood did say all available forces, Captain." Greg replied to Winter's second in command for her Vale deployment, Captain Vert. Unlike some of the other Atlesian officers who were still salty about their fight with the Russians, Vert had a strong level of respect and admiration for them. It also stems from the fact that Vert started out as a normal infantryman and worked his way up to captain versus the other officers who only went through the officer's academy or "bought" their way into leadership positions. He knows what it's like to be out there on the ground in the front lines, earning him the respect of the soldiers under his command and the Russians as well. His field experience certainly showed by the graying of his clean-cut brown hair, and stress lines along a strong face that surrounded dull green eyes. Despite being older than most Captains, he was still an imposing figure standing at six feet tall with a muscular figure you would expect a field officer like Vert to have.

"Is Specialist Schnee here?" Vert asked.

"Negative, She and her forces are mopping up enemies at the northern wall." Alex replied.

"Yeah, what the hell happened over there? We saw the explosions and next thing we know it sounds like a warzone over the radio." Before Alex could give an answer, the sounds of Grimm roars and soldiers shouting got everyone's attention.

"Watch out!" A soldier shouted pointing upwards. Right as he finished, a police car suddenly came into view, hurdling towards their position, its lights and siren still active. Most of the personnel managed to get out of the way of the incoming police car, but one unfortunate soldier tripped over himself and got crushed by the weight of the car.

"Ah shit! Private Carmine!" A couple soldiers ran up to try and lift the car off him but were stopped when Beowolves, that seemed to appear out of nowhere, landed on top of them, clawing and slashing away at the soldiers. More Beowolves suddenly dropped out of the sky into the assembly area, catching everyone by surprise before they attacked the nearest person. The Russians joined the defenders in taking care of the surprise Beowolves. One by one, the Beowolves were being taken care of with ease, but they kept literally dropping in from the sky.

"Captain! Beringels, 300 meters down the east road!" A soldier yelled from the IFV's gunner position. Captain Vert climbed the side of the IFV to get a better view before pulling out his binoculars. Sure enough, he saw the forms of the fearsome gorilla-based Grimm, balling up Beowolves and using their immense strength to throw them into their perimeter. Other smaller Grimm types not being thrown by the Beringels were also rushing their position.

"Deploy energy barriers! IFV's, concentrate heavy fire to the east! I want those fucking Beringels put down! And get command on the horn and tell them we need reinforcements at our position!" Vert shouted, knowing his troops would move without any hesitation. Captain Vert also ordered the few policemen and Huntsmen to fall back across the bridge with the civilians. The IFV's positioned themselves to face the east road and began unloading at the advancing Grimm while at the same time, several soldiers were seen throwing down metallic boxes that rapidly unfolded into what could be described as a 20 foot, blue-green energy like shields that looked like something you'd see in the _Halo_ video games. Atlesian troops took up positions behind the energy barriers to shoot at the oncoming Grimm while being protected by the one-way barriers.

"Captain! Command lost contact with Charlie company and is asking if we're able to contact them!" The radioman shouted.

"Charlie company is supposed to be helping keep the Grimm contained near the breach! If we're getting hit this hard, then Charlie must be in trouble!" Vert shouted back. The bulk of the Atlesian forces were set up in a perimeter around the tunnel breach to contain the Grimm and allow time for civilian evacuations. Vert's position was one of the several rear-guard posts that served to guard vital choke points, i.e. the bridge, to allow civilians to escape, and to take out any Grimm that may have slipped through the main forces. Considering how fast the Atlesians were able to coordinate and organize their troops in such a short amount of time, one can't complain that when push comes to shove, the Atlesians can deliver.

"Greg, see if you can pick off those Beringels! Ivan, Nick, with me!" Alex yelled out as he made his way to the energy barrier. While he, Nick and Ivan took up position with the Atlesians to engage the charging Grimm, Greg climbed on top one of the IFV's to get a better view down the road. Lining up the nearest Beringel in his crosshairs, Greg fired a shot that landed between the creatures eyes, causing it to stagger and roar out in anger. Despite the shot to the head, the Beringel was still up and kicking, although it's clear that it took serious damage from the sniper round. Greg fired another three shots before the beast finally fell. At the sight of their fallen brother, the other Beringels became enraged, roaring into the sky and pounding their chests in preparation for attack.

"Come on, let's blow these fuckers away!" Nick cried out, his enthusiasm motivating the nearby Atlesians. Between the Russians, the Atlesian soldiers, and the IFV's, the lesser Grimm coming at them were easily taken care of by their combined fire power. The Beringels were another story though. Just like the gorillas you'd find on Earth, they're faster, stronger and more agile than the average human. Of course since this is Remnant and Beringels are dark, twisted, demonic versions of gorillas that regularly fight against Aura-enhanced humans, they're about eight times deadlier.

Greg managed to pick off a couple more of the Beringels, but they've proven to be very durable on top of everything else. It didn't take long for them to close the distance to the energy barrier, additional Grimm not far behind. With their superior abilities, the Beringels were easily able to jump over the barriers while Beowolves and Creeps pounded away at them, trying to break through. The Beringels were right on top of them, preventing the IFV's from engaging them without killing their own forces in the process. One of the Beringels was closing down towards Ivan, ready to pummel him to death, just like the other humans. Too bad for the beast, Ivan saw it coming in and shot it right out of the sky, turning the once fearsome Grimm into swiss cheese. Some of the other soldiers weren't as lucky, however. Ivan heard an agonizing scream to his right and turned just in time to see a Beringel rip a soldiers arm out of his socket with little effort. The gorilla Grimm then proceeded to whack the poor guy upside the head with his own dismembered arm, causing him to fall to the ground. It then finished him off by jumping into the air and landing on his chest with it's full weight. Ivan slightly cringed under his balaclava at the sickening crunching sound and the blood that followed before avenging the fallen soldier.

"God damn." Was all Ivan could say before returning to the fight.

Nick and the Atlesians near him were holding strong, even taking out a couple of the Beringels before they can do any serious harm. Unfortunately, one of them managed to get the jump on them. It was using a stop sign as a makeshift weapon and was swinging it around in a frenzy, knocking away any poor bastard in it's path…including Nick. The Beringel hit with enough force to send Nick almost 100 feet right into a nearby car.

"Ugh, I'm going to feel that in the morning." Nick groaned to himself. He managed to hobble his way back up while thanking God that he was wearing a helmet. Though he could feel the bruises and slight cuts from the glass, not to mention feeling a little dizzy, overall Nick was fine. The same couldn't be said for some of troops that were by him. One guy that was hit went flying right into a knocked down streetlight and was impaled by the jagged metal, while a female soldier was grabbed by her throat and hurled her over the energy barrier into the horde of Grimm trying to break it. Her dying screams could be heard over the sounds of battle around them. Nick was ready to shoot that damn Beringel but held his fire when two Atlesians charged the beast with their swords.

The Beringel swung it's makeshift weapon at the soldiers but they were ready, with one jumping over the sign, while the other ducked underneath it. The soldier who went low swiftly slashed at the Beringels legs, causing it to stagger and roar out. Right as it roared out, the soldier in the air brought sword his down right into it's open mouth. He then shifted his sword back to its rifle form and unloaded a whole magazine into it's mouth. Despite the attack, the Beringel was somehow still standing and threw the soldier away from him. With his target clear, Nick fired at the beast, putting it down for good. He than made his way to the soldiers that conducted, in his opinion, a badass attack against the Beringel.

"That was fucking badass!" Nick said to the two soldiers.

"Thanks." The first one replied.

"Just wished we could've nailed that bastard before it got Sal and Sandy." The second soldier replied with bitterness.

"Come on, we got to keep our heads in the game." Nick said to him. He's been in the soldiers position before and it sucks. But during a firefight, you have to stay focused or else you'll end up in their position. The two soldiers simply nodded before continuing battle against the Grimm.

With the last of the Beringels mopped up, the defenders had some breathing room for now but there was still the situation with the Grimm horde trying to breach the barrier, as well as getting reinforcements on their position. From what Alex overhead from Captain Vert, the Atlesians had the breach completely surrounded in an attempt to contain the Grimm. Once the area was clear of civilians, they were going to push forward and close the breach. The was the plan at least. The shopping center near the breach was much busier than normal thanks to special Vytal festival sales, so clearing the area of civilians was taking much longer than normal. Additionally, no one anticipated that the underground breach would be large enough to allow Nevermores and other avian Grimm to enter the city, thus the immediate Atlesian air forces in the air were caught off guard. And on top of everything, the Grimm were pushing hard into the city, attacking the Atlesian positions relentlessly. Captain Vert also received conformation from the other companies that Charlie company got overrun, but they weren't in any position to reinforce them.

"I don't think we're going to hold out much longer." Alex said to Vert while firing a grenade over the barrier.

"Reinforcements are on their way, but air support is all tied up right now." Vert replied with anger as he fired towards the Grimm. As he did, a thought crossed his mind. "What about those fighters you came here with?" He asked Alex.

"They're under Specialist Schnee's command, but she pretty much lent them to me. Then again, they could've been picked up by main command." He replied.

"Only one way to find out." Vert said, handing Alex the radio.

"Frostbite 2-1, Sgt. Volkov; do you read me, over?" Alex said.

" _I read you Sgt. Good to hear you're still up and kicking. I thought those Nevermore's got you guys."_ Frostbite replied.

"We're fine. What's your current status?"

" _We've cleared out the Nevermore's and are en route to the breach."_

"Charlie company is down and we're standing by to be overrun. Request immediate support at our position. Fire mission, danger close!"

" _Copy that. What's your current position?"_

"South Market Street Bridge, West of Charlie company's position. Hit'em with everything you got." It didn't take long for Frostbite and his squadron to spot Alex's position. From the air, he could see the how bad the situation was. Danger close was putting it lightly.

" _It's a little too close for us to be dropping missiles and bombs on your perimeter, but we can hit them with the guns."_ Alex and Vert knew that the guns won't be enough to break up the Grimm. It was then that Vert took the radio from Alex.

"This is Captain Vert. For the record it's my call. Dump everything you have on my position, I say again, expend all remaining in my perimeter. It's a lovely fucking evening, Vert out."

" _Roger your last, Captain. We copy, it's your call. Get yourselves to safety down there and hang tight, we're coming in hot and cocked for the asphalt."_ Frostbite replied, complying with Vert's order.

"Everyone pull back across the bridge! Airstrikes coming in! Pull back!" Vert shouted to what's left of the defenders. Making sure to keep fire on the Grimm at the barrier, the Russians and Atlesians began to make their way over to the bridge and dug in to make sure the Grimm don't cross. The two IFV's pulled back as well, setting themselves in front of the infantry and using their large caliber machine guns on the Grimm. As they pulled back, the Grimm became bolder in their assault, climbing on top of each other and eventually over the barrier. They were quickly dealt with, but you kill one Beowulf, and 20 more take its place.

After what felt like the longest minute of their lives, the roaring engines of Atlesian fighters came up behind them. The defenders cheered out as they watched the Grimm get blown away by strafing runs consisting of heavy machine guns, fire Dust bombs, and hail fire missiles. Of course, they had to immediately take cover as the strikes continued, due them literally dropping their ordnance right on top of their position. Once the dust and smoke cleared away, the defenders were looking at completely destroyed city block. The roads were covered in craters while the nearby buildings suffered heavy damage. Anything that was on the street was utterly blown away. Cars, streetlights, road signs, Grimm; nothing remained standing. It was a good thing that the civilians were evacuated away from this side of the city. This short break wouldn't last, however.

"Captain, General Ironwood is ordering all forces to push forward and begin the counterattack to drive them back." The radioman said.

"All the civilians must be cleared out then. Very well." Vert replied. He then turn towards Alex and the others. "Listen up! All forces have been given the green light to move in on the breach. Mount up!" He yelled out. Since there weren't that many of them left, everyone was able to hitch a ride on the two IFV's as they made their way forward.

"Did they say anything about reinforcements?" Alex asked Vert. The radio man turned to answer for Vert.

"Transports with Knights and heavy armor are already en route, Sgt." The radioman replied to Alex.

 **The Breach**

The Russo-Atlesian group met little resistance as they made their way to the breach, only encountering the odd Beowulf that was quickly dealt with. As soon as they reached Charlie company's location, they saw firsthand how dire their situation was. Deathstalkers, King Taijitus, and massive spider Grimm called Latros, were running rampant through the broken defensive lines with other smaller Grimm species filling in the gaps. Luckily, the small group wouldn't have to fight alone as the Atlesian Knights that dropped in were taking care of the Grimm. Although many of the assault robots were taken down, the sheer number of them were enough to tip the scales. Add in the heavy Atlesian battle tanks and the additional airstrikes, and the Grimm presence was dropping significantly. The Russians couldn't help but notice that the Atlesian tanks didn't look that different from what you'd see on Earth, with the only major differences being that it hovered off the ground and had two main turrets instead of one. Other than that, they're quite effective against the larger Grimm.

The AK-200's on the other hand were met with mixed feelings from the Russians. They're well aware of Ironwoods goal to have robots take over most functions of the military but they weren't afraid to bring up their concerns to him. Most of their concerns were from movies back on Earth but were also because they were in the middle of the digital age of warfare and knew the dangers of what could happen if the enemy destroys your electronic network or worse, takes control of it. They didn't change the Generals mind, but they at least made him slow down to rethink a few things. At least the AK-200's could be used as cannon fodder and could be deployed anywhere without special training. Plus they didn't need to eat or rest, and thousands could be produced in days versus training new soldiers that could take several months or even years. But the one thing the guys like about the AK-200's is that while they really don't talk, they can still give verbal responses when prompted, and when the Russians heard one of them respond to an order with the phrase, "roger roger" in a deep robotic voice, they couldn't help but geek out at the reference.

With Charlie company more or less under control, the group finally made it to the main breach. There they saw RWBY, JNPR, CFVY, and many other students and Huntsmen fighting off the Grimm. Though it's pretty clear that they can hold their own, there was too many Grimm for them to contain, and the Grimm simply rushed past them to get into the city. Thankfully, the tides were turning and more Atlesians arrived to make the final push and were driving the Grimm back into the hole. It was then that Glynda Goodwitch decided to finally show up and use her powerful telekinesis Semblance to seal off the breach, effectively ending the crisis. With the last remaining Grimm stragglers mopped up, the city sent out the all clear signal, and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.

"I see dead White Fang grunts over by the train." Greg said to Alex. He glanced over and sure enough, there they were.

"That confirms that this was indeed a terrorist attack." He replied.

"Two massive attacks at the same time, by two opposing groups. That is no coincidence. Something big is going on. General Ironwood is probably going to want to talk about it." Greg pointed out.

"I know he is, and we will. But first, we need to deal with the aftermath of what just went down." The damage around them was bad, but not compared to the casualties. And that's only at this area. There's no telling the extent of how devastating this attack was to the rest of the city. Not to mention it could've been worse if ANTIFA was successful with their attack.

"This is far from over, isn't it?" Greg asked.

"Oh yeah. Far from over." Alex deadpanned as he reached for his cigarettes.

 **A/N:**

 **First off, the "Latro" spider Grimm is named after _Latrodectus_ , the scientific name for the spider genome that contains black widows.**

 **Okay so about the long delay, I was super busy with this last semester and it ate up all my free time. But I completed my associates degree so I got that going for me.**

 **However, I'm going to be busy this summer as I prepare to leave California for my home state of Missouri, in order to continue schooling. I'm not sure how that'll effect my already stagnated writing schedule, but I'll make it work.**

 **Speaking of which, I'll be honest. I still want to write this, but if for some God forsaken reason I'm unable to continue and have to discontinue, I give you my word I will do it with class and post the last chapter as what was suppose to happen. Nothing sucks more than reading a discontinued story that ends on a cliff hanger.**

 **I've also come to the conclusion that I prefer the FanFics to the actual show. Vol. 6 had it's moments but...I don't know, it just didn't feel right I guess. I'll still watch Vol. 7 but it's mostly going to be for story research, especially since it's suppose to take place in Atlas.**

 **Anyway, that's about it for now. I thank you for your support and patience, and feel free to leave comments, reviews, criticism etc.**

 **Hawk out**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Aftermath

 **Ozpin's office**

It's been a week since the Breach, and Vale is still recovering from it. Physically, the city itself was fine with most of the structural damage repaired thanks to Glynda and the strong work ethic of the construction crews. Emotional damage, however, was far worse. Over a hundred lives were lost alongside the hundreds more that were injured. Among the casualties were many Atlesian soldiers, Vale policemen, and Huntsmen that all valiantly fought off the Grimm to protect the citizens. The Kingdom of Vale hasn't suffered a tragedy like this since the Mountain Glenn incident many years prior. The ruling council declared a day of mourning in remembrance to the lives that were lost.

As expected, the service was very somber and downright depressing. It only made sense that the weather that day be cloudy and overcast to reflect the overall mood. Almost the entire city was in attendance, including the Atlesians and the Russians. They sat quietly with the Beacon faculty and the upper echelon of the Atlesian forces while many prominent figures spoke words of encouragement and remembrance to the crowd. It ended with a candlelight vigil and people placing flowers and photos of the deceased near the breach sight. For the first time in many years, the city of Vale was truly unified as one.

The feeling wouldn't last long.

Barley one day after the memorial service, the sadness and sorrow felt was soon replaced with anger. Once it was revealed that the White Fang were responsible for the tunnel breach, life for the Faunus became difficult in Vale. It's not necessarily that people believed that all Faunus were secretly part of the White Fang, but the fact that despite all the violence caused by the Faunus terror group, there has never been any type of official condemnation from the Faunus community or any action on their part. Not to mention that since the old subway tunnels were used to carry out the attack, many felt it was a desecration of the resting place for the victims of Mountain Glenn. Rumors quickly spread that the Faunus silently supported the White Fang in secret, without being members themselves.

Adding fuel to the fire, it was then that ANTIFA's planned attack was leaked out to the public. Now everyone was pointing fingers and placing blame on each other. The silver lining was that this information leak was enough to prevent escalation of violence between the Humans and Faunus…for the moment. Now with the knowledge that there were two planned attacks by the notorious terror groups, the people of Vale were both furious and panicky, but also wanted answers on why this happened. After all, many loved ones were lost, and their families were out for blood. The anger then shifted to the only remaining outside variable in Vale: The Atlesians.

Wherever Atlas goes, their problems seem to follow. That's the gist of what's been going around the city. The argument went that because Atlas always has their noses in everyone's business and tend to do whatever they want; they're bound to make enemies. None more evident than the rise of the White Fang. It's not official, but it's pretty much known that the treatment of Faunus workers by Atlesian companies and the poor state of the old capital city of Mantle led to the groups radicalization. Which can then be argued that it led to the rise of ANTIFA. Either way, the protests of the Atlesians in Vale was picking up momentum.

However, while half of Vale wanted the Atlesians to leave, the other half was in favor of keeping them around. They argued that Atlas has done much to help the rest of the world and mentioned that many Atlesians gave their lives to protect them. The opposition countered with saying that the Atlesians are the common denominator when it comes to the terrorists. Coincidently, the group that prefers that the Atlesians stay was mostly made up of people originally from other Kingdoms, which the anti-Atlesian group quickly pointed out by claiming that the other group weren't "True Valeans" and they should go back to their respective Kingdoms if they wanted to live under Atlesian authority. Most of these claims were ridiculous and spoken only in anger by a relatively small number of people, but when the council voted to allow more Atlesian forces into the city to help with security concerns, those small voices grew louder in their claims that the Atlesians are sending an occupation force to take over Vale. Some even said that the White Fang and ANTIFA attacks were used as a false flag operation to justify more Atlesian forces. Again, ridiculous claims, but after such terrible events, the people are emotionally vulnerable, and susceptible to thinking and acting irrationally.

Aside from security reasons, the extra Atlesian forces would be needed to help secure the Vytal Festival. Due to recent events, the council had to vote on whether or not they should continue forward with festivities. Back and forth debates between those who favored canceling the festival for security reasons, and those opposed, took much longer than anticipated. The voting results were extremely close, but the end result was that the festival would continue on. A single vote was the deciding factor. The final verdict was that the festival is an important tradition among the Kingdoms dating back to the end of the Great War, and with its overall message of peace and unity that the festival symbolizes, it has never been more imperative that they must continue the tradition, especially with recent events. The irony didn't escape anyone, as it seems that Vale is more divided now than it's been in decades thanks to recent events. Still, the people of Vale are strong and proud, and will endure like they have in the past. Through it all, Beacon has been more or less the same as it was before the attacks. Students continued their studies and training, faculty were making the final preparations for the festival, and the Atlesian garrison was on high alert. Business as usual.

Ozpin sat at his desk looking over the debrief report of the ANTIFA attack with Glynda and Ironwood. The details of what transpired at the perimeter wall were…disturbing to say the least. Though it's been a week since the attack was leaked to the public, the three were still in shock that such an elaborate attack and cruel method of bringing Grimm into city was almost successful if it hadn't been for the efforts of Winter and the Russians. One breach of Grimm was bad enough, but a second one at another area would've been devastating to the city. Ironwood even admitted that if there was a second breach, the Atlesian and Valean defenders would've been stretched too thin and eventually overrun. Thankfully, ANTIFA was stopped and suffered a crippling blow to their presence in Vale. Most of them were killed off by Winter and the Russians, while many more were captured by Winter's forces. Some may have escaped but based on the severe casualties ANTIFA suffered, they'll be hard pressed to try anything in the near future. With that in mind, the city is now focused on Vytal festival security and a possible White Fang resurgence seeing as how there weren't many White Fang casualties found near the breach. Authorities could only assume that many were still in the tunnels when they were sealed off, but they can't afford to take any chances with how tense things are right now.

Sitting across Ozpin's desk was Winter in her normal uniform, and the Russians in their normal combat uniforms. True to his word, Alex finally told Winter about he and the guy's "unique" situation. As expected, she didn't believe him at first, going as far as suggesting he should get his head checked out for injuries. But showing her the same helmet camera footage they showed Ozpin, alongside Ironwood vouching for them, and little bit of Alex's charm, she finally came around. Like everyone else, she really didn't know how to react to the fact that there was a completely different universe out there. She's not exactly what you'd call a believer in unseen possibilities and what not, but after this, Winter didn't exactly know what to believe anymore.

One thing for certain, is that her overall opinion of Alex and the others didn't change. She finally understood firsthand where they came from and why they act the way they do. It certainly explained why they weren't fazed by the killing or the disturbing sights of what they saw at the wall. Winter gave a slight shudder of what transpired that evening. The shooting, the explosions, the blood, the stench of death…all of it fresh in her mind. After the first confrontation with the slain victims, she felt a rage building up that sought vengeance for their deaths. Many enemies paid dearly, but when she went to rescue the hostages, she firsthand saw what horrors humanity is capable of and nearly broke and lost control of herself. The sight of the grieving mother embracing her dead child still haunts her mind. She could still hear the mothers cries of sorrow while her child could only stare blankly back at her. None of her training prepared her for that. Then again, how could it? Thankfully, she was able to talk to Alex about it. He simply listened while she did most of the talking. Afterwards, he'd give his advice and some encouraging words which seemed to give her some comfort. Winter's not exactly an open person but she seems to make an exception when it comes to Alex. Perhaps it's because of the mutual respect between the two professional soldiers.

"Well it's official, the Atlesian council has voted unanimously to send more troops at the request of Vale. They'll be here in a few days." Ironwood commented. On one hand, he was glad that he's getting much needed reinforcements to replace the losses. However, he is aware that Vale is heavily divided on the presence of Atlesian forces in the city and doesn't want to make things worse between the two kingdoms.

"Do you really think bringing in more soldiers and knights is a good idea?" Glynda asked.

"We don't have a choice Glynda. The council has overridden my authority on security measures and transferred them to James." Ozpin replied with a hint of disappointment.

"You guys already had a lot troops here to start with, yet two big attacks happened right under everyone noses." Greg commented.

"I'm not too thrilled about it, but hopefully with a stronger presence, it'll be enough to scare the enemy into hiding." Ironwood said.

"Trust us when we say that a show of force doesn't necessarily deter radical, fanatic terrorists. If anything, they may try to use the increase presence to generate sympathy for their causes." Alex replied to the general.

"What do you mean?" Winter asked.

"Both the White Fang and ANTIFA are driven by their goals of social and political change. Who's to say that they won't blame the opposition for escalating military presence in the city? For the White Fang, all they have to say is that the Atlesians are planning to arrest all the Faunus in Vale for 'collaboration' with terrorists. ANTIFA could probably say something like that the Atlesians are more concerned with playing politics with the Faunus all while people are being killed off by the White Fang. Both of these scenarios can possibly lead more to rally to their causes." Alex explained, giving the Remnant natives much to think about.

"You don't think that'll happen?" Winter asked with concern.

"Hard to say. People's ideologies can lead to very dangerous paths. Not to mention that the current emotional state of the city is a perfect breeding ground for extremism." Alex replied.

"Dammit, we're running around in the dark here!" Ironwood shouted, banging his fist on Ozpin's desk.

"It's frustrating James, but we must remain calm." Ozpin reasoned.

"Ozpin, there were _two_ major terrorist attacks, planned at the same time, by two opposing groups, with the common goal of allowing Grimm to pour into the city! The whole city is shaken up and divided, and we have absolutely no leads on who's behind everything or where to start looking!" Ironwood argued.

"Well what about Cinder?" Ivan asked. Everyone turned to look at him. "Didn't that Torchwick guy you captured seem to know her?" He indicated to Ironwood, remembering that Torchwick dropped Cinder's name when he was being arrested at the breach.

"He did." Ironwood growled. "We had suspicions that she's more than just a simple hacker when we found what was on the scroll she had on her that night. Now it's clear that she's an integral part of what's going on."

"Have you been able to get anything out of her?" Greg asked but Ironwood was already shaking his head.

"She and her cohorts are keeping their mouths shut during questioning." The general replied.

"What methods have you tried on them?" Nick asked.

"Methods?" Ironwood asked.

"Yeah. It's pretty clear that questioning isn't working. So, have you tried other methods like truth drugs, electroshock, waterboarding, daily beatings, uh let's see what else…" Glynda interrupted Nick before he could finish his thought.

"Are you talking about torture?!" She yelled.

"Technically we call it 'enhanced interrogation techniques'." Nick replied while making air quotes.

"Sounds like torture to me." Ozpin said with a neutral face.

"Those 'techniques' you mentioned violate all kinds of intercontinental laws in regard to the treatment of incarcerated persons, as well as going against Atlesian military code on those held under military arrest. Not to mention that what you're suggesting is completely barbaric and inhumane!" Winter added. It was then that Alex stood up.

"People are dead, the city is on edge and nearing open conflict with each other, and you're worried about laws that were probably set up by career politicians, bureaucrats, and military officers who've never left their desks and been out in the real world! Let me tell you something, back in our home, if any group tried to pull the shit that went down last week, it would be considered an act of war. As far as I'm concerned, Cinder and her cronies are now considered prisoners of war and thus subject to 'enhanced interrogation'." There was a brief pause after Alex's speech. Winter finally broke the silence.

"We are not compromising our morals no matter how bad it gets." She firmly said. Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Keep that in mind for the next terror attack we could've easily prevented. I'm sure the people who lost their loved one's would be glad to know that _you_ kept your morals." Winter glared hard at Alex's subtle mocking. "You people can keep trying to play by the rules, but it's clear our enemies don't, and sometimes the end justifies the means." Alex finished, giving the four Remnant natives a hard stare down.

"Talk about a low blow." Nick whispered to Greg. The other Russians know Alex can be blunt and direct, but they also share his viewpoint and agree that these Remnant folk need to face reality. Over the years, they learned that Alex is their best bet when it comes to convincing others.

"Enough you two! The last thing we need is friction between allies." Ozpin called out, trying to bring back order in his office. Both Alex and Winter nodded to him, but still kept an icy glare towards each other.

"You both make good points but Ozpin's right. If we start fighting amongst ourselves, nothing will get done and the enemy will have already won." Ironwood commented. The good general was conflicted. On one hand, Winter is the model Atlesian soldier who has more than proven her loyalty and worth to both Ironwood and Atlas. Not to mention, they do have history as he knew her when she was a teenager. He firsthand saw her combat prowess and leadership abilities in Atlas academy, which led him to recruiting her to join the Atlesian Specialists upon her graduation. Though they maintain a strong professional relationship, once you break through the military formalities, in a broad sense they can be considered friends. Additionally a very, very small part of Ironwood sees Winter as a daughter he never had. He trusts her insight and opinions as well as her actions in the field…which brings into play the other hand.

Alex, although sharing similar traits to Winter, is vastly different from her. Putting aside the "being from another world" factor, he and his comrades are a formidable, battle tested force compared to most of the Atlesian military. Efficient, cunning, and ruthless in combat, they possess that "edginess" which puts them leagues ahead of his forces and most Huntsmen in general. Their professionalism and drive towards mission accomplishment no matter what, are invaluable assets desperately needed in the current world climate. But most importantly is the fact that Alex brings a whole new way of thinking that opened Ironwoods eyes. Remnant just isn't equipped or accustomed to dealing with massive worldwide insurgencies. The Russians on the other hand, are. They were specially trained to conduct this type of warfare and have been doing it for their entire military careers.

He was well aware that if it wasn't for them, the attack on the wall would've been successful and Vale could've easily been overwhelmed. Hell, if they'd been sent to the White Fang base instead of the wall, they'd probably prevent the tunnel breach and crippled the White Fang. Which brings him back to what Alex said about preventing future attacks. As effective as the Russians are, there's only four of them and can't be everywhere at once. Splitting them up is an option, but Ironwood knows they're most effective when working together or the very least, in close proximity to each other. And even if the Russians are willing to cross train with the Atlesians, it would take far too long to properly train new units and they don't that kind of time. Desperate times call for desperate measures and if that Cinder woman knows something, then maybe it's time to cross that gray area.

"Now tell me Alex, if I give you the green light, do you think you could get Cinder to talk?" Ironwood asked, surprising everyone especially the Remnant natives.

"James! You can't possibly be considering what I think you're thinking about!?" Glynda yelled at the Atlesian general.

"We're out of options Glynda." He simply said.

"Out of options? Don't give me that bullsh- "

"Glynda!" Ozpin interrupted his assistant headmistresses. "Before you tear into James, perhaps we should hear how Alex would approach the situation?" Now the surprise was directed towards Ozpin. The women couldn't believe that he was considering James' plan.

"But sirs, the consequences! It's bad enough you're considering such drastic action, but if word gets out, it could destroy the reputation of Atlas, not to mention we could be facing lifetime sentences!" Winter argued.

"If it comes to it, then I'll assume full responsibility." He paused to look Winter in the eye. "Schnee…no, Winter, I love my Kingdom. The men and women who've already lost their lives while here in Vale, did as well. In fact, that love, and devotion was shared with our friends in Vale and the other kingdoms. I'm not going to sit around and let their sacrifices be in vain while our enemies move about. I'll do whatever it takes to save lives, and if I'm court-martialed or even set in front of a firing squad, then so be it." Ironwood finished, leaving Winter and the others stunned at his patriotic speech. It was Alex who once again broke the silence.

"Now general, there's no need to think about the worst-case scenario. We'll see if we can get Cinder to talk. In fact it's probably best if we do it." The other's gave him an inquiring look. "We're not part of the Atlesian military and our status as Vale citizens is sketchy at best. If you think about it, we're outside of any Remnant jurisdiction." Alex explained.

"Try using that excuse in a court of law." Glynda muttered to herself, not liking this twisted way of thinking.

"Now if we are going to try and get something out of Cinder and her cronies, we need to make them really uncomfortable before questioning." Greg started to explain. "Start of simple: adjust the temperature controls of their holding cells. Make it ungodly hot at night and ice cold during the day. They need to be sweating and dying of thirst when they try to sleep, and then wake up in the morning shivering and able to see their breaths."

"When they're trying to sleep, have the lights come on at random times during night and maybe flicker them for a while. Oh yeah, and make sure you also play loud obnoxious music at random intervals as well. Sleep deprivation can break the strongest minds." Ivan added. Everyone seemed to agree with his logic.

"During the day when the temperature is cold, you can 'accidentally' spray them with cold water and let them sit there soaked and freezing. It may also prove useful to reduce the overall quality of their food." Nick suggested, gaining questionable looks.

"Keep this up for at least a week. Don't bring them in for questioning and have the guards ignore any complaints or questions they bring up. After that, you can start using other techniques like stress positions or controlled fear." Alex explained.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked.

"Manipulate their bodies into positions that are extremely uncomfortable like wall sits or keeping their arms up in the air for hours at a time. For a controlled fear, if you know something that they're afraid of, go ahead and exploit it. Like if they were claustrophobic, lock them in a small enclosed space for the whole day. You could even have a little fun and chain a couple of aggressive attack dogs in the room with them. Having a dog barking and snarling at you in a small space is sure to emotionally scar someone." Alex answered with a very subtle grin that Winter noticed. Her displeasure was very obvious.

"Then there's the more direct methods like waterboarding or beating it out of them." Greg added.

"And if they still resist?" Ozpin asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Then we get creative. Ivan's dad use to work for the KGB and I'm sure he must've heard a few things about interrogations." Nick answered. Ozpin and the others looked at Ivan, who gave a curt nod confirming what Nick said.

"What's the KGB?" Winter asked, unsure if she wanted to know.

"It was the security and intelligence agency when our country was still under Soviet government. They were uh…infamous for being very effective at intelligence gathering and espionage." Greg answered.

"I don't like this Ozpin. It's just feels so…wrong." Glynda said. She was about ready to plead for Ozpin to not go through with this.

"I don't like it either but…I also know what it's like to make a difficult choice for the greater good." He explained with an undertone of regret in his words.

"Just to be clear, as far as military records go, this never happened." Ironwood said in a serious tone. Everyone nodded.

"That's a given." Alex commented.

 **2 weeks later**

Cinder, alongside Emerald, Mercury and Roman were sitting in an Atlesian interrogation room. It was dimly lit, with the only objects in the room being a metal table and chairs for them to sit. The door was a heavy-duty security door that can only be opened from the outside. Bringing the room together was the large one-way mirrors off to the sides to allow observers to watch the interrogations. The four of them were stripped of their normal attire and forced to wear prisoner fatigues as well as special cuffs that blocked their Auras and Semblances. Special precaution was taken as they were all classified as tier one terrorists. At first things were okay for them. The living conditions were tolerable, questioning was going nowhere for the Atlesians, and the guards pretty much left them alone. The three, with Roman joining later, figured that eventually the Atlesians would give up or even try to bargain, but then things changed that last few weeks.

It started one night when the air conditioner "broke down" and could only blow hot air. Everyone woke up drenched in sweat. Then the AC was "repaired" and was going full blast to the point that Cinder and the others could see their breaths. Just then a fire alarm "went off" and triggered the sprinkler systems in their cells, drenching them in ice-cold water. When it was over, they were stuck with wet clothes in damn near freezing temperatures, but they were also surprised that no guards came to investigate. It wasn't until lunchtime that the guards came by to deliver their meals. They tried to complain to the guards but were completely ignored by them. The "food" they received was far below what they've been eating for almost a month. It used to be simple, yet palatable food like rice, fish and vegetables, but now it almost resembled a gray paste like substance. Hunger eventually got the better of them and as expected, it tasted as good as it looked. Again, they tried complaining and threatening the guards, only to be ignored again.

As the days passed, it became clear to the criminals that the Atlesians were doing this on purpose when the "incidents" were becoming more frequent and escalating in severity. On top of trying to sleep in a scorching hot room at night, the lights in their cells would turn on in the middle of the night; max brightness obviously. To further mess with their sleep, the speakers in the detention block were wired to play loud music on a random cycle all throughout the night. Sometimes the lights would flicker to the beat of the music, turning their cells into mini raves that amused the night guards and annoyed the cell occupants.

During the day, the guards stopped using the sprinkler system and opted for actual fire hoses to drench Cinder and company. One of the guards even went as far as to use a fire extinguisher on them. The AC continued operating on full blast with an additional boost of ice Dust that increased the cold air output. It got to the point that the guards had to wear warming layers as they patrolled the detention block because it was so cold. Food was still of questionable quality and the four reluctantly ate it, if only to keep off starvation. But the worst part of their incarceration was when the guards dragged them out of their cells and contorted their bodies into the most uncomfortable positions any of them had experienced. Sitting on the wall, squatting on the balls of their feet, arms tied above their heads and many other stress positions that the Atlesians could think up (with some suggestions from the Russians as well). Cinder and company stayed in these positions for hours on end and blindfolded and gagged for sensory deprivation to add psychological discomfort. The part that really surprised them was the fact that there were no questioning sessions that followed their "interactions" with the Atlesian guards. It appeared that the only job the guards had were to continue this torment on them, which was also unsettling because the guards appeared to really enjoy themselves with slightly sadistic grins on their faces.

Finally after two long weeks of being at the mercy of the guards, the four managed to have a day without any type of torment. Everything went back to normal and the guards acted like nothing happened. It infuriated all of them, especially Cinder. Of course, the sudden change in behavior of the guards could only mean that something was planned for the four of them.

"Thanks for dragging me into this Cindy." Roman spat at her. The master criminal has been arrested and locked up multiple times in his life, but never had he been treated like this before. He was dirty, tired, hungry and looked like absolute shit. He knew good lawyers that helped him out in the past, and he definitely needed them now more than ever. Roman knows a lot about various laws in Remnant, and what he went through violates so many of them, he could discredit the Atlesian military for generations. As for Cinder, since he had no loyalty to her and she's the one who roped him into this, she could die for all he cares. The only thing that matters is number one…and his partner Neo. _"I'm sure she got out of those tunnels alright."_ Roman thought with a small grin before glaring back at Cinder.

"Give it a rest Torchwick." Emerald said with much bitterness in her voice. The lack of sleep and mental abuse were visibly obvious on the dark-skinned beauty. Since her Semblance was very powerful, the guards didn't want to take chances and left her blindfolded most of the time. Other times, she wore "drunk goggles" to distort her focus. It wasn't until the last few days that they determined that she couldn't use her Semblance and let her be.

"Yeah, shut it old man." Mercury added. His normal prosthetic legs were immediately confiscated and replaced with ones that severely restricted his movements. As the most vocal during their incarceration, Mercury was the prime target for the guards. Every time he opened his mouth, either a fist, a baton, or some other type of blunt instrument found its way to his face. He already had a black eye and several bruises to show for it.

"Stay out of this children, this is between me and 'mommy'." Torchwick replied to the two. Cinder however, completely ignored the other three by simply staring at the wall in front of her with a blank face. Like everyone else, she looked like absolute shit: No makeup, bags under her eyes, some bruising on her face, unkempt hair, and her healthy skin tone seemed to have lost some color. The lack of sleep didn't help one bit. She hasn't even spoken a word to anybody since that night. Neither the guards, the interrogators, or even Emerald could get Cinder to speak. In fact, she pretty much just sat in her cell the whole time, lost in her thoughts of that night…and _him._

After getting taken down at the dance, she woke up in an Atlesian medical ward, handcuffed to the bed and covered in medical wrap over her gunshot wounds. Under no circumstances would she imagine being in this position. Though Cinder is a fast healer, the wounds she suffered will no doubt permanently affect her physical abilities. The wound in her upper right thigh made it difficult to walk while the one in her left shoulder heavily restricted her arm movements. Of course the worst was the one in her left hand. Besides feeling pain every time she tries to make a fist, it'll serve as a constant reminder of how she suffered a humiliating defeat by the one who she fatally underestimated: Alex.

Despite the harassment by the Atlesians, Cinder focus was completely on him. Oh how she hated him. She regretted not killing him as soon as he became suspicious of her. If she ever sees him again, she promises to make his death slow and horrible. That pretty face of his will be unrecognizable after she's done with him. But the thing Cinder couldn't figure out, was how he broke through her Aura with a single pistol shot. The pistol he used didn't look like anything special and he didn't display any use of a Semblance, so how did he do it?

The door suddenly buzzing open drew everyone's attention to it. Everyone thought it was going to be the usual Atlesian interrogators, but they were surprised when a young man in a greenish, camouflage pattern uniform step in. At the sight of Alex, Cinder's blood pressure spiked up as she gave him a death glare. Alex smugly grinned at her as he pulled out a chair to sit across from the four.

"Good morning." He said in a polite tone to everyone present. As expected, they said nothing to him. "I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me." Again he was met with silence and dead stares, but Alex did notice that the four of them looked absolutely miserable. Their outward appearances are a dead giveaway. Hopefully their mental resistance has been eroded enough for him to break.

"You're wasting your time." Mercury replied with his venomous sarcasm and a weak grin. Alex simply shrugged before getting up from his chair and making his way behind Mercury. Without any warning, Alex grabbed Mercury by his hair and slammed his head down onto the metal table. Before anyone could react, Alex slammed his head down two more times, then followed up with a punch straight into Mercury's jaw. The silver haired assassin groaned in response to the bad headache. Yet as an act of defiance, he spat the built-up blood in his mouth towards Alex. Mercury immediately regretted that once his head was slammed down on the table again, only this time at the perfect angle for his teeth to make contact with the edge of the table. Emerald actually gasped when Mercury came back up and noticed a few cracked teeth.

"You can't do this!" She shouted at Alex. By no means are she and Mercury friends, but this wasn't right. Alex quickly turned towards her and slapped her hard across the face. He hit with such force that she was knocked out of her chair and onto the ground. Emerald then felt a sudden pain in her torso, courtesy of Alex's boot. He kicked her gut two more times before lifting her up off the ground and placing her back in her chair.

Both Cinder and Roman were wide-eyed and shocked at what just happened. They could only stare at the pitiful attempts of Emerald and Mercury trying to grab on to the afflicted areas only to be stopped by their handcuffs and restraints. It occurred to them that Alex wasn't playing around. The door then buzzed open again to allow Greg, Nick and Ivan to enter the room. It wasn't the fact that the other Russians arrived, but the metal cart they were pushing drew some concerns. The four criminals took a gander at what was on the cart and suddenly their concerns skyrocketed. Various knives, metal wires, hand tools, pliers, vice grips, an electrical battery with jumper cables, syringes with various vials of unknown liquids, and all sorts of nasty looking objects littered the cart that caused a chill to run up the spines of the four. Cinder, for the first time in years, felt afraid.

"Now then, let's have a little chat, shall we?" Alex said with an unsettling grin.

 **A/N: I don't really have much to say. Just hope y'all are staying cool this summer. The only thing I'm going to miss about San Diego is that it's pretty much year round 70-80 degrees (Fahrenheit). It's nice during the summer but I miss the cool Autumn weather, snowy Winters and rainy Springs.**

 **-Also I'm not really sure how I feel about RWBY lately. For starters, I hate most of the fandom because it's so..toxic. Like the whole Yang X Blake scene, I'm sorry but I haven't seen such a forced lesbian romance fan service in a cartoon since the Legend of Korra (you know what I'm talking about). Yeah ,yeah, nothings confirmed but I think we know what's going on. But say anything against the big same sex ships like White Rose and Bumblebee, and get ready to be called every single insult in the dictionary.**

 **-Then there's the Atlesians they met. Look, I'm a military guy and I know this is a show, but they could've at least been slightly more realistic on military portrayal. Like seriously, tweedle dee and tweedle dumb did not need to act like that for attempted humor. And then what's her face, Cordova or whatever. Trying to kill kids in a giant mech to prove a point and then endangering the city because of your stupidity? Give me a fucking break. Oh, and after they kill the big Grimm, "I'll let you go, no harm, no foul." It's like they were trying to portray the military as full of dumb soldiers and over zealous officers.**

 **-Okay, so maybe I did have stuff to say. Whatever, take it easy guys**

 **Hawk out.**


End file.
